Verified Document

Health Promotion At The Interface Research Paper

Finally, the transtheoretical model proposes five stages of change: precontemplation, contemplation, preparation for action, action, and maintenance. These five stages illustrate health behavior. The transtheoretical model can be viewed more as an outcome of health promotion rather than a theory underlying health promotion strategies. However, the theoretical model can inform best practices in health promotion by nurses who work directly with clients. The theory helps health care workers evaluate the effectiveness of health promotion programs.

While each of these four theories should ultimately be integrated and synthesized into a model for health promotion, I will focus on the Health Belief Model and the Motivational Interviewing Model to demonstrate direct, specific ways nurses can contribute to health promotion in their practices.

Integration of Theory with Nursing Practice

The Health Belief Model shows why individuals make the health-related choices they do. For example, young people are far less likely to perceive the long-term threats from behaviors like smoking, doing drugs, drinking, engaging in unprotected sex, and eating junk food. Similarly, an individual who believes that diabetes does not run in their family and therefore fails to eat properly might be making choices that impact personal health and well-being. I perceive the Health Belief Model as a means of understanding client behavior and client choices rather than as a suggestion for direct intervention. In keeping also with the Motivational Interviewing model, I would incorporate the Health Belief Model into my practice by simply listening to and understanding client beliefs. From this compassionate perspective, it is likely that clients may at least come to embrace their choices and take responsibility for any possible health-related consequences.

Barriers to Health Promotion

Barriers to health promotion include financial, communications, and legislative issues. Financial barriers to health promotion are among the most significant. Many health promotion organizations lack the requisite funding to achieve intended public or personal health objectives. Health care institutions and clinics likewise lack unlimited funding by which they can produce publications, implement free programs for clients, or hire health promotion specialists. These barriers are especially relevant in terms of social and economic class issues. Clients who are poor have less access to health promotion materials, making health an important political...

If no media outlets are available or if available outlets are uninterested in promoting health, then barriers to communication prevent health promotion. A lack of qualified health promotion specialists can also pose a communication barrier. Finally, legislative and legal issues can prevent health promotion. Legislation should ideally be promoting health, but often the interests of business trump the best interests of public health.
Evaluating and Assessing

Evaluating and assessing the effectiveness of any chosen theory or health promotion strategy requires both research and careful observation. As a nurse, I can observe changes in my clients. Working with the Transtheoretical Model, I even have a means of observing stages of change in individuals as well as whole communities. Researchers can gather statistical data that can be used to inform public policy and guide legislation.

Conclusion

When the financial, legal, and practical barriers to health promotion are removed, achieving public health goals becomes much easier. Health promotion is an ethical imperative. While improved funding and legislation is helpful, health promotion can begin right now: with a solid commitment to creating and maintaining healthy lifestyles and healthy communities. Nurses are at the forefront of health promotion, because we interact directly with clients as well as with health care administrators and health educators.

References

Center for Health Communications Research at the University of Michigan (2009). "Health Behavior Theories." Retrieved online: http://chcr.umich.edu/how_we_do_it/health_theories/healththeories4/chcr_document_view

"Health Literacy." (2010). Health Service Executive. Retrieved online: http://www.healthpromotion.ie/health/health_literacy

Health Promotion Agency (2009). What is health promotion? Retrieved online: http://www.healthpromotionagency.org.uk/Healthpromotion/Health/section2.htm

O'Donnell, M.P. (n.d.). Tobacco killed my little brother. American Journal of Health Promotion. Retrieved online: http://www.healthpromotionjournal.com/publications/journal/en2010-11.htm

Public Health Promotion Agency of Canada (2010). Health promotion. Retrieved online: http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/hp-ps/index-eng.php

World Health Organization (WHO 2006). Constitution of the World Health Organization. Retrieved online: http://www.searo.who.int/EN/Section898/Section1441.htm

Sources used in this document:
References

Center for Health Communications Research at the University of Michigan (2009). "Health Behavior Theories." Retrieved online: http://chcr.umich.edu/how_we_do_it/health_theories/healththeories4/chcr_document_view

"Health Literacy." (2010). Health Service Executive. Retrieved online: http://www.healthpromotion.ie/health/health_literacy

Health Promotion Agency (2009). What is health promotion? Retrieved online: http://www.healthpromotionagency.org.uk/Healthpromotion/Health/section2.htm

O'Donnell, M.P. (n.d.). Tobacco killed my little brother. American Journal of Health Promotion. Retrieved online: http://www.healthpromotionjournal.com/publications/journal/en2010-11.htm
Public Health Promotion Agency of Canada (2010). Health promotion. Retrieved online: http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/hp-ps/index-eng.php
World Health Organization (WHO 2006). Constitution of the World Health Organization. Retrieved online: http://www.searo.who.int/EN/Section898/Section1441.htm
Cite this Document:
Copy Bibliography Citation

Related Documents

Healthcare the Impacts of Case
Words: 4123 Length: 12 Document Type: Research Paper

"Studies of the relationship between managed care penetration in the health care market and expenditures for Medicare fee-for-service enrollees have demonstrated the existence of these types of spill over effects" (Bundorf et al., 2004). Managed care organizations generate these types of spillover effects by increasing competition in the health care market, altering the arrangement of the health care delivery system, and altering physician practice patterns. Studies have found that higher

Healthcare: Social Vulnerability to Disease Health Care
Words: 710 Length: 2 Document Type: Essay

Healthcare: Social Vulnerability to Disease Health care has as its immediate concern the welfare of clients and patients. However this pressing concern is often influenced by multiple factors many of which have a distinct social dimension. Consequently, care of individuals and the delivery of quality care is not only a medical problem but also a social problem. Vulnerable populations generally require direct external interventions to assist in the reduction of the

Healthcare in Saudi Arabia Project
Words: 13191 Length: 40 Document Type: Research Proposal

Lack of accountability, transparency and integrity, ineffectiveness, inefficiency and unresponsiveness to human development remain problematic (UNDP). Poverty remains endemic in most Gulf States with health care and opportunities for quality education poor or unavailable, degraded habitats including urban pollution and poor soil conditions from inappropriate farming practices. Social safety nets are also entirely inadequate and all form part of the nexus of poverty that is widely prevalent in Gulf countries.

Business of Health Care
Words: 2602 Length: 8 Document Type: Term Paper

Business of Health Care This study highlights essential facts about health care and health in the local, national, and international health care delivery. Healthcare in the U.S. stands at crossroads between opportunities and challenges. Both the local, national, and international health systems face common problems in the delivery of efficient, high quality and equal health services. All these are concurrently happening in times when the amount of care delivered exceeds the

Rural Healthcare Facilities Context of
Words: 5552 Length: 20 Document Type: Term Paper

Provide sustained technical assistance (Expert Panel Meeting: Health Information Technology: Meeting Summary, 2003) Evaluation of the process in rural and small communities includes: (1) scope of the project; (2) goals; (3) critical success factors; and (4) technical assistance." (Expert Panel Meeting: Health Information Technology: Meeting Summary, 2003) Community grants have been focused on the provision of 'personal digital assistant (PDA) systems in assisting with the decision support role. The initiative is

Public Health Informatics Is the
Words: 1119 Length: 3 Document Type: Essay

"Potential barriers to resource sharing include institutional separation, ignorance of each field's history and unique challenges, constrained resources and different timelines" (Mamotte et al. 2009). Ultimately, I do not believe it matters if the research studies are exactly 'like Tuskegee.' A fundamental difference between the two is that the African population might not be treated with the full resources of Western medicine had they not participated in the trials, while

Sign Up for Unlimited Study Help

Our semester plans gives you unlimited, unrestricted access to our entire library of resources —writing tools, guides, example essays, tutorials, class notes, and more.

Get Started Now