EZIAKU J OLIVER Grand Canyon University NRS-429V Family-Centered Health Promotion January 13, 2013
Health promotion is defined by the world health organization as the process of enabling people to increase control over, and to improve, their health. It moves beyond a focus on individual behavior towards a wide range of social and environmental interventions. The purpose of health promotion is to empower people to improve their health and delay disease, disability, and death. The nurses plays an important role in health-promoting activities which include educating people in making important life changing decision such as healthy eating, stress management, adequate physical activity, adequate sleep and not smoking. Achieving optimal health is not the sole responsibility of the individual the government are also involved in health promotion by creating safe environment free of pollution, safe drinkable water, provide vaccines for preventable diseases. Health differences can be reduced by providing culturally relevant health information, programs, and services, creating public policy that promotes health, improving access to health care and providing other opportunities for making healthy choices. Primary prevention is the prevention of diseases and conditions before their biological onset. This can be achieve in many ways, such as educating individuals to decrease risk taking behaviors, preventing environmental exposures, environmental health measures, such as maintaining a safe water and food supply. Educating individuals on sex educations such as promoting the use of condoms, abstinence before marriage, avoiding multiple sex partners will prevent sexual transmitted diseases such as HIV, and also reduce the risk of cervical cancer in women. Education in healthy eating habit and increase in physical activity
References: Robert, R. B. (2002). Encyclopedia of Public Health. Retrieved on January 13, 2013 from GCU Library. Retrieved on January 13, 2013 from www.who.int/topics/health_promotion.