Health Promotion
Health Promotion: Giving up Smoking in Pregnancy
Introduction
The object of this assignment is to critically appraise a health promotion initiative related to midwifery practice. The initiative chosen is a NHS Health Scotland leaflet entitled 'Smoking: giving up during pregnancy: a guide for pregnant women who want to stop smoking' (NHS Health Scotland 2003). It will be referred to as the 'initiative' or the 'leaflet' throughout this assignment.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) identified that health promotion was a way of equipping people to have more power enabling them to make choices in regard to improving their well-being (WHO 1986). Ewles and Simnett (2003) determine from this, that the fundamental elements of health promotion are improving health and empowerment. The Scottish Office paper 'Towards a Healthier Scotland' (1999) recommended making more health promotion available for pregnant smokers.
This appraisal will systematically review the literature relating it to the health promotion initiative chosen using Ewles and Simnett (2003) Five Approaches to Health Promotion model. It will furthermore evaluate the midwife's role in promoting the issue highlighted and conclude with a summary and any proposals to improve future practice.
Critical Appraisal
The Scottish Office paper 'Towards a Healthier Scotland' (Scottish Office 1999) recommends reducing the numbers of women smoking during pregnancy from 29% to 20% in the next 5 years. According to the Health Education Authority (1999) the rate for smoking in pregnancy in the UK was 30% however nearly 90% classified smoking as dangerous to their unborn child. Johnston et al (2003) point out that smoking is the main preventable cause of disease and disability in the fetus and newborn. Around 13 000 individuals die from smoking in Scotland each year (NHS Health Scotland and ASH Scotland 2004a). This initiative is based on the normative needs concept as it is influenced by expert opinion and government
Introduction
The object of this assignment is to critically appraise a health promotion initiative related to midwifery practice. The initiative chosen is a NHS Health Scotland leaflet entitled 'Smoking: giving up during pregnancy: a guide for pregnant women who want to stop smoking' (NHS Health Scotland 2003). It will be referred to as the 'initiative' or the 'leaflet' throughout this assignment.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) identified that health promotion was a way of equipping people to have more power enabling them to make choices in regard to improving their well-being (WHO 1986). Ewles and Simnett (2003) determine from this, that the fundamental elements of health promotion are improving health and empowerment. The Scottish Office paper 'Towards a Healthier Scotland' (1999) recommended making more health promotion available for pregnant smokers.
This appraisal will systematically review the literature relating it to the health promotion initiative chosen using Ewles and Simnett (2003) Five Approaches to Health Promotion model. It will furthermore evaluate the midwife's role in promoting the issue highlighted and conclude with a summary and any proposals to improve future practice.
Critical Appraisal
The Scottish Office paper 'Towards a Healthier Scotland' (Scottish Office 1999) recommends reducing the numbers of women smoking during pregnancy from 29% to 20% in the next 5 years. According to the Health Education Authority (1999) the rate for smoking in pregnancy in the UK was 30% however nearly 90% classified smoking as dangerous to their unborn child. Johnston et al (2003) point out that smoking is the main preventable cause of disease and disability in the fetus and newborn. Around 13 000 individuals die from smoking in Scotland each year (NHS Health Scotland and ASH Scotland 2004a). This initiative is based on the normative needs concept as it is influenced by expert opinion and government