Community Health Promotion Analysis
Introduction
Health promotion is an important aspect of primary health care as it focuses not only on individual health, but on the social and structural determinants of health which can be used to enable individuals to take control of their personal health (World Health Organization [WHO], 2016a; McMurray & Clendon, 2015). The Ottawa Charter of Health (OCH) is an important part of community and global health promotion and comprises five strategies: building healthy public policies, creating supportive environments, strengthening community action, developing personal skills, and reorienting health services (McMurray & Clendon, 2015; WHO, 1986). Obesity rates in children are rising, with an approximated twenty five percent of children presenting …show more content…
as overweight. Without treatment, obesity in children can follow through to adulthood resulting in life threatening illness such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2016; WHO, 2016b). This essay will discuss the nurse’s role in the health promotion strategies of the OCH, in order to prevent child obesity. This will be demonstrated by examining the role of nurses in the treatment and prevention of child obesity through the promotion and creation of healthy public policies, in the creation of supportive environments, and, through the strengthening of community action for obesity prevention. As well as, through the development of personal skills through obesity education, and the reorienting of health services to treat and prevent child obesity.
Build Healthy Public Policy Nurses play a key role in the promotion of healthy public policies in order to prevent child obesity.
Healthy public policies focus on the collaboration of many organisations to provide policies that are safe and equitable, allowing all people the opportunity to lead healthy lives (WHO, 1986). In the issue of obesity prevention in children, nurses use healthy public policies in order to promote health to school students. This can be seen in the Primary School Nurses Program and the Secondary School Nurses Program. This is a government program sending nurses to schools in order to asses health risks such as obesity, promoting healthy practices and connecting students and families with appropriate health care facilities (Victoria State Government, …show more content…
2013).
Nurses also play an important role in the creation of healthy public policies. The practical experience and relationships nurses create with patients enables nurses to collect data which shows areas of health care demanding improvement. This information allows them to be advocates for healthy public policies that allow for the betterment of safe, equitable and relevant nursing practice (McMurray & Clendon, 2015; Webber, 2011). Unfortunately some research shows that nurses do not always involve themselves in the policy building aspect of health care, due to lack of opportunity, education as students, or inability to maintain the momentum needed for long term policy advocacy (Kunaviktikul, 2014; Taylor, 2015).
Create Supportive Environments
Nurses play a role in the creation of supportive environments for children and families dealing with obesity. Due to the overwhelming nature of lifestyle changes on children, these supportive environments are important in the facilitation of healthy lifestyles. Nurses can create these supportive environments by supplying culturally responsible, family orientated health education resources (McMurray and Clendon, 2015). As well as by, interacting with educators, children, and parents in the implementation of a school based obesity program. This environment supports and encourages children to increase physical activity and promotes a healthy lifestyle (Victorian Health Promotion Foundation [VicHealth], 2015). The benefits of such environments are seen in the experiment facilitated by Tucker and Lanningham-Foster (2015), which implemented a nurse-led child obesity program in America. The results presented an increased rate of activity, as well as an increase in child health literacy. This shows that nurses playing a role in identifying approaches to health, while focusing on supportive environments to encourage children, leads to healthy and active lifestyles.
Strengthen Community Action
Strengthening community action is an integral part of health promotion and enables communities to assess their own needs and empowers them to take control of their health.
In addition to this, strengthened community action allows children to develop self-confidence to work through challenges, as they are aware the community is working for them (McMurray & Clendon, 2015). Nurses support community action to prevent and reduce obesity in children in ways such as, providing information to parents, and the community about programs that promote health and nutrition. Programs such as Go4Fun, a community based healthy lifestyle program for pre-teens supported by NSW Health (Go4Fun, 2013), is an example of a community action which a nurse could support. The ten week program supports the promotion of healthy eating, confidence, and fitness. It is also free, which makes it an accessible and equitable support program (Go4Fun,
2013).
Nurses also play a role in encouraging local neighbourhoods, and communities to take part in the prevention of child obesity. VicHealth (2015) recommends in their report on influencing children’s health that children should be considered when planning community facilities and neighbourhood layout. Nurses take a role in mediating between schools, communities and local governments to advocate for the health of children in the urban and community planning process (McMurray & Clendon, 2015). This mediation ensures there are adequate play spaces, roads are low speed, and pedestrian and traffic lights are installed to ensure safety for children. Ensuring a safe environment in which to promote physical activities such as walking home from school or riding bikes (VicHealth, 2015).
Develop Personal Skills
Nurses play a key role in the development of personal skills by educating families and children in the key aspects of a healthy life. Nurses need to educate the whole family when addressing obesity in children, as children often mirror the physical and nutritional health of parents and caregivers (VicHealth, 2015; McMurray & Clendon, 2015). In addition to this, parents can also be hesitant to admit their child is overweight, which can prevent the adjustment of the child’s lifestyle (Laws et al., 2015). Nurses are also able to develop the personal skills and health literacy of children by using education resources such as posters, information brochures, and books to promote behavioural changes aiming towards a healthier lifestyle (McMurray & Clendon, 2015; VicHealth, 2015).
Reorient Health Services
Nurses take on an important role in researching and advocating for the reorientation of health services, in order to treat and prevent child obesity. This role allows nurses to reorient health services to provide equitable, empowering, and culturally sensitive health care (McMurray & Clendon, 2015). Due to their role in the community, nurses are able to conduct research and gain information on the specific needs of clients and are able to use this information in nurse-led care. In the treatment and prevention of child obesity this information can be used to work with local governments, policy makers, and communities to ensure obesity specific health promotion methods are available to all individuals (Rabbitt & Coyne, 2012; McMurray & Clendon, 2015).
In addition to research, nurses can also play a role in promoting health in a school setting by partnering with educators. By collaborating with schools and teachers, nurses can work together to incorporate evidence based health education into school curriculums. This collaboration is instrumental in aiding children to increase their health literacy, enabling them to and make healthier lifestyle choices (Tucker & Lannington-Foster, 2015; McMurray & Clendon, 2015). As an example, a teacher, nurse, and dietician could run a cooking class to educate children on nutritious foods. This class could consist of tasting new foods, and cooking nutritious meals in order to promote healthy foods. This reorientation of health services means that children can have the best possible chance of leading healthy lifestyles and enjoying nutritious food. A similar program ‘Cooking with Kids’ run in New Mexico, found that the positive experience of programs such as this encouraged both children and their families to lead healthier lifestyles (Walters & Stacey, 2009).
Conclusion
With obesity in children becoming an ever growing issue, the role of the nurse in its treatment and prevention is evident. As seen, nurses advocating for individuals and mediating with local governments enable the creation of healthy public policies, and provides a base for nurse-led school education. The education of families and schools on obesity and the provision of equitable health programs can assist in obesity prevention, and allows nurses to create supportive environments. Nurses also strengthen community action through the promotion of safe places for physical activity by mediating between schools, neighbourhoods, and local governments. Nurses are also instrumental in the education of families and children in order to develop personal skills, enabling the effective treatment and prevention of obesity. Finally, nurses playing a role in advocating and mediating between policy makers, schools and health care providers can reorient health services, in order to ensure relevant health care for patients. A nurse’s use of these combined strategies greatly improves the treatment and prevention of child obesity, allowing children a healthier life. Therefore, a nurse’s use of the OCH in enabling, mediating, advocating, and educating is an important part of primary health care, due to the subsequent development of health literacy and health capacity.
Health promotion is an important aspect of primary health care as it focuses not only on individual health, but on the social and structural determinants of health which can be used to enable individuals to take control of their personal health (World Health Organization [WHO], 2016a; McMurray & Clendon, 2015). The Ottawa Charter of Health (OCH) is an important part of community and global health promotion and comprises five strategies: building healthy public policies, creating supportive environments, strengthening community action, developing personal skills, and reorienting health services (McMurray & Clendon, 2015; WHO, 1986). Obesity rates in children are rising, with an approximated twenty five percent of children presenting …show more content…
as overweight. Without treatment, obesity in children can follow through to adulthood resulting in life threatening illness such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2016; WHO, 2016b). This essay will discuss the nurse’s role in the health promotion strategies of the OCH, in order to prevent child obesity. This will be demonstrated by examining the role of nurses in the treatment and prevention of child obesity through the promotion and creation of healthy public policies, in the creation of supportive environments, and, through the strengthening of community action for obesity prevention. As well as, through the development of personal skills through obesity education, and the reorienting of health services to treat and prevent child obesity.
Build Healthy Public Policy Nurses play a key role in the promotion of healthy public policies in order to prevent child obesity.
Healthy public policies focus on the collaboration of many organisations to provide policies that are safe and equitable, allowing all people the opportunity to lead healthy lives (WHO, 1986). In the issue of obesity prevention in children, nurses use healthy public policies in order to promote health to school students. This can be seen in the Primary School Nurses Program and the Secondary School Nurses Program. This is a government program sending nurses to schools in order to asses health risks such as obesity, promoting healthy practices and connecting students and families with appropriate health care facilities (Victoria State Government, …show more content…
2013).
Nurses also play an important role in the creation of healthy public policies. The practical experience and relationships nurses create with patients enables nurses to collect data which shows areas of health care demanding improvement. This information allows them to be advocates for healthy public policies that allow for the betterment of safe, equitable and relevant nursing practice (McMurray & Clendon, 2015; Webber, 2011). Unfortunately some research shows that nurses do not always involve themselves in the policy building aspect of health care, due to lack of opportunity, education as students, or inability to maintain the momentum needed for long term policy advocacy (Kunaviktikul, 2014; Taylor, 2015).
Create Supportive Environments
Nurses play a role in the creation of supportive environments for children and families dealing with obesity. Due to the overwhelming nature of lifestyle changes on children, these supportive environments are important in the facilitation of healthy lifestyles. Nurses can create these supportive environments by supplying culturally responsible, family orientated health education resources (McMurray and Clendon, 2015). As well as by, interacting with educators, children, and parents in the implementation of a school based obesity program. This environment supports and encourages children to increase physical activity and promotes a healthy lifestyle (Victorian Health Promotion Foundation [VicHealth], 2015). The benefits of such environments are seen in the experiment facilitated by Tucker and Lanningham-Foster (2015), which implemented a nurse-led child obesity program in America. The results presented an increased rate of activity, as well as an increase in child health literacy. This shows that nurses playing a role in identifying approaches to health, while focusing on supportive environments to encourage children, leads to healthy and active lifestyles.
Strengthen Community Action
Strengthening community action is an integral part of health promotion and enables communities to assess their own needs and empowers them to take control of their health.
In addition to this, strengthened community action allows children to develop self-confidence to work through challenges, as they are aware the community is working for them (McMurray & Clendon, 2015). Nurses support community action to prevent and reduce obesity in children in ways such as, providing information to parents, and the community about programs that promote health and nutrition. Programs such as Go4Fun, a community based healthy lifestyle program for pre-teens supported by NSW Health (Go4Fun, 2013), is an example of a community action which a nurse could support. The ten week program supports the promotion of healthy eating, confidence, and fitness. It is also free, which makes it an accessible and equitable support program (Go4Fun,
2013).
Nurses also play a role in encouraging local neighbourhoods, and communities to take part in the prevention of child obesity. VicHealth (2015) recommends in their report on influencing children’s health that children should be considered when planning community facilities and neighbourhood layout. Nurses take a role in mediating between schools, communities and local governments to advocate for the health of children in the urban and community planning process (McMurray & Clendon, 2015). This mediation ensures there are adequate play spaces, roads are low speed, and pedestrian and traffic lights are installed to ensure safety for children. Ensuring a safe environment in which to promote physical activities such as walking home from school or riding bikes (VicHealth, 2015).
Develop Personal Skills
Nurses play a key role in the development of personal skills by educating families and children in the key aspects of a healthy life. Nurses need to educate the whole family when addressing obesity in children, as children often mirror the physical and nutritional health of parents and caregivers (VicHealth, 2015; McMurray & Clendon, 2015). In addition to this, parents can also be hesitant to admit their child is overweight, which can prevent the adjustment of the child’s lifestyle (Laws et al., 2015). Nurses are also able to develop the personal skills and health literacy of children by using education resources such as posters, information brochures, and books to promote behavioural changes aiming towards a healthier lifestyle (McMurray & Clendon, 2015; VicHealth, 2015).
Reorient Health Services
Nurses take on an important role in researching and advocating for the reorientation of health services, in order to treat and prevent child obesity. This role allows nurses to reorient health services to provide equitable, empowering, and culturally sensitive health care (McMurray & Clendon, 2015). Due to their role in the community, nurses are able to conduct research and gain information on the specific needs of clients and are able to use this information in nurse-led care. In the treatment and prevention of child obesity this information can be used to work with local governments, policy makers, and communities to ensure obesity specific health promotion methods are available to all individuals (Rabbitt & Coyne, 2012; McMurray & Clendon, 2015).
In addition to research, nurses can also play a role in promoting health in a school setting by partnering with educators. By collaborating with schools and teachers, nurses can work together to incorporate evidence based health education into school curriculums. This collaboration is instrumental in aiding children to increase their health literacy, enabling them to and make healthier lifestyle choices (Tucker & Lannington-Foster, 2015; McMurray & Clendon, 2015). As an example, a teacher, nurse, and dietician could run a cooking class to educate children on nutritious foods. This class could consist of tasting new foods, and cooking nutritious meals in order to promote healthy foods. This reorientation of health services means that children can have the best possible chance of leading healthy lifestyles and enjoying nutritious food. A similar program ‘Cooking with Kids’ run in New Mexico, found that the positive experience of programs such as this encouraged both children and their families to lead healthier lifestyles (Walters & Stacey, 2009).
Conclusion
With obesity in children becoming an ever growing issue, the role of the nurse in its treatment and prevention is evident. As seen, nurses advocating for individuals and mediating with local governments enable the creation of healthy public policies, and provides a base for nurse-led school education. The education of families and schools on obesity and the provision of equitable health programs can assist in obesity prevention, and allows nurses to create supportive environments. Nurses also strengthen community action through the promotion of safe places for physical activity by mediating between schools, neighbourhoods, and local governments. Nurses are also instrumental in the education of families and children in order to develop personal skills, enabling the effective treatment and prevention of obesity. Finally, nurses playing a role in advocating and mediating between policy makers, schools and health care providers can reorient health services, in order to ensure relevant health care for patients. A nurse’s use of these combined strategies greatly improves the treatment and prevention of child obesity, allowing children a healthier life. Therefore, a nurse’s use of the OCH in enabling, mediating, advocating, and educating is an important part of primary health care, due to the subsequent development of health literacy and health capacity.