Annotated Bibliography: Public Health

Title- Public Health

Public Health is the promotion of the population’s health, this promotion depends on various individual lifestyles (Naidoo and Wills, 2009). A public health initiative is an action plan to improve the lifestyles of the population of local communities. Obesity and lack of physical activity is a large problem in the UK with many initiatives being set up in many communities. In Havering, Greater London, the lack of physical activity has led to the Walking to Health scheme, an extensive programme on 16 pathways in the borough, (Natural England, 2010). This scheme highlights the importance of exercise within staying healthy, involving anyone and everyone in the aim of improving lifestyles and reducing obesity levels in the
Government policies reflect the specific health and social needs the public require, this provides an insight to the Primary Care Trust, such as Havering to the needs of the population. Recently, issues of healthy living have dominated Government policy leading to Havering focusing on surrounding initiatives. A well known Government policy is Change4Life (2008), this strategy has an aim to promote healthy lifestyles, including eating and exercise focusing on children and families. In particular, this policy states the importance of exercise, providing ideas for activity and stating at least an hour and a half of exercise per week. Other government policies include Choosing Health (2004) and Healthy weight, Healthy lives (2008), these policies focus on the population as a whole suggesting the importance of a healthy lifestyle and understanding how lifestyles can change individual health. Havering’s Walking for Health initiative, coheres with the policy Healthy Weight, Healthy Lives (2008), this policy directly focuses on promoting exercise and the opportunities for exercise in the community, without any social exclusion, through education, fitness or wealth. This initiative contributes to nursing practice in both formal and lay care settings by enhancing the chance to exercise and showing the importance of a healthy lifestyle. Walking for Health is
As stated by Department of Health (2004), Partnership working aims to strengthen the coalition between the NHS, private sector and the community, this combination aims to improve the health of the UK’s population, developing local authorities to be able to complete initiatives to make these improvements. Partnership working is a coalition of individuals and organisations, who work together for a specific aim, similarly multiagency is a coalition of individuals, yet the individuals are of the same sector. Partnership workings such as the NHS and Havering Primary Care Trust recognise the lack of physical activity in the area, Walking for Health initiative is suggested and confirmed with multiagency workings such as local GP’s, carers and district nurses. The workings coalition improves the health and wellbeing of the community, by resolving problems leading to having a greater potential in promoting health, (Naidoo & Wills, 2009). As well as integral to producing an initiative, these workings are essential for maintaining and improving the community through the initiative in both formal and lay care settings. In particular, partnership and multiagency workings are fundamental to care settings as they provide guidance and support for the coalition. Walking for Health needs these workings for the initiative to be successful, encouraging exercise and guiding all areas of the multiagency team to