Unit 8 Article Review Assignment Health Promotion Strategies

CHE 6303, Strategies of Health Promotion 1

Course Learning Outcomes for Unit VIII Upon completion of this unit, students should be able to:

1. Apply health-related information to educate the public with the intent to reduce the risk of disease and enhance quality of life. 1.1 Describe the current focus on health disparities and its relationship to diverse populations. 1.2 Describe the range of factors (within an ecological model) that contribute to health disparities.

6. Discuss ethical issues that may arise in the promotion of health awareness.

Reading Assignment Chapter 15: Culture, Diversity, and Health Disparities: Are Current Theories Relevant? Chapter 16: Career Choices and Social/Behavior Theory in Public Health: A Brief Introduction

Unit Lesson There are disparities that exist for certain populations in our society with respect to their health status or quality of life indicators. There are many specific factors that contribute to this aspect of inequality still occurring within the United States. Public health professionals are continuously striving to improve the situation or to have a more equal society. Before reducing these disparities, we really need to understand what these factors are, and then we can develop the appropriate strategies to tackle these serious issues. The common categories that are often linked to health disparities include social, economic, and environmental considerations. There is strong evidence that suggests that access to care, for example, is one of those factors. Evidence and data suggest that individuals from certain ethnic minority groups (e.g., African Americans, Hispanics, and Native Americans) do not have the same level of health insurance coverage rates as other Americans. This creates a health disparity because specific minority groups do not have the primary care services required to sustain a minimum quality of life. Thus, there has to be a coordinated effort on the local, state, and federal levels, so the situation is improved. Other factors indicate that these minority groups have the highest rates of heart disease and associated risk factors such as heart attacks and strokes. These factors contribute to lower quality of life indicators and increased levels of mortality. Another factor includes individuals from minority groups living in undesirable conditions such as insufficient housing and being in poor economic condition. All of these have a direct impact on the individuals’ health conditions. This continues to illustrate the need for continued efforts from various government agencies at all levels to work on improving a person’s income levels and housing conditions. Therefore, investments in better housing and transportation as well as more job creation should be ongoing. Other contributing factors may include low or insufficient levels of education, poor mental health or behavior- related issues, and higher rates of alcohol, tobacco, and substance use. Again, as we have learned, there needs to be effective and successful health promotion strategies and interventions in place that would be able to decrease the occurrence of health-inhibiting behaviors. Let’s go back to the issue of mental status for a moment. There are still perceived and real indications of racism and bigotry in the United States—even today. This discrimination can lead to anxiety, stress, and depression. As we have learned so far, stress and depression can have very serious health impacts on individuals. Thus, there is a need to continue working on tackling the issue of racial discrimination and health

UNIT VIII STUDY GUIDE

Culture, Diversity, and Health Disparities

CHE 6303, Strategies of Health Promotion 2

UNIT x STUDY GUIDE

Title

disparities among minority groups. The medical care has to be comprehensive in that it should offer services related to improving mental health and any behavior-related issues. We have discussed all of these factors at some point in this class. Now, I hope you can see how all of those are really affecting many individuals from minority groups and how important it is to have a coordinated and robust effort at the local, state, and federal levels that interacts with the health promotion of minority groups. Public health agencies’ practitioners, researchers, healthcare industry professionals, and local leaders are trying to promote health and improve the lives of the individuals from those minority groups by consolidating their efforts. These leaders are also directing their attention (in order to improve individuals’ medical care and personal behavior, lifestyles, and conditions) to the following:

1. policies/programs/interventions to promote youth development and education; 2. policies/programs/interventions to promote economic development and reduce rates of poverty; 3. policies/programs/interventions to promote healthier homes, schools, neighborhoods, and

workplaces; and 4. policies/programs/interventions to improve living and working conditions (Cawley et al., 2015).

Culturally-Competent Care Another important issue has to do with the way or ways a healthcare organization, such as a hospital, deals with individuals from minority groups in terms of providing effective, timely, high-quality, and culturally competent medical care. Cultural competency: Healthcare professionals need to be aware and understand individuals’ cultural differences, values, and norms in order to be successful in delivering medical care. Healthcare professionals also need to have certain core competencies. When we talk about physicians, for example, we typically talk about the competencies that fall into these six main categories:

1. patient care, 2. medical knowledge, 3. professionalism, 4. systems-based practice, 5. practice-based learning, and 6. interpersonal and communication skills.

Please consider all of the information discussed throughout the past eight units as you continue your studies and professional careers. Public health education and awareness is at the forefront in the promotion of improved health outcomes.

Reference Cawley, J., Sweeney, M., Sobal, J., Just, D. R., Kaiser, H. R., Schulze, W. D., . . . Wansink, B. (2015). The

impact of a supermarket nutrition rating system on purchases of nutritious and less nutritious foods. Public Health Nutrition, 18(1), 8-14.