Strategies for health promotion

2018 ◽  
pp. 83-112
Author(s):  
Colin Palfrey
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Physical Activity ◽  
Health Promotion ◽  
Northern Ireland ◽  
Health Surveys ◽  
Political Action ◽  
Health Behaviours ◽  
Current Health ◽  
Promotion Strategies ◽  
The Uk

This chapter focuses on various strategies for health promotion in the UK. It begins with a discussion of two opposing routes to better health, known as health promotion doctrines: Approach A is a health education approach that seeks to influence individual lifestyle, while Approach B argues that health inequalities can be reduced and public health can be improved only through social change and political action. The chapter then considers the different causes of ill health, with particular emphasis on the link between health and poverty. It also examines poverty in the UK, taking into account various definitions of poverty in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, and health surveys that provide an annual update on current health behaviours and conditions in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Finally, it reviews health promotion strategies pursued in the four countries, such as tackling obesity, increasing physical activity and improving diet.

scholarly journals Healthy Mobile Check-In Study: Barriers to exercise for women in high and low SEP suburbs in Brisbane

2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (Supplement_5) ◽  
Author(s):  
J A Carroll ◽  
J Rodgers ◽  
J Lyons-Reid ◽  
R Bennett
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Health Promotion ◽  
Family Responsibilities ◽  
Social Barriers ◽  
Low Socioeconomic ◽  
Barriers To Exercise ◽  
Promotion Strategies ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Targeted Approach ◽  
Barriers To Physical Activity

Abstract Previous studies have demonstrated that physical activity (PA) promotes health and reduces risk for non-communicable diseases. However, 55% of Australian women did not meet the recommended levels of PA in 2018-19. There remains a gap in knowledge regarding the individual, household, and neighbourhood barriers to physical activity between women from high and low socioeconomic suburbs. We conducted a mixed-methods study to ascertain subjective accounts of the socioecological reasons for different daily logistics, travel, and PA between these groups. In addition to daily mobility data collated from GIS iPhone apps, in-depth interviews were held with 16 women from the high (Ashgrove) and low (Durack) SEP suburbs in Brisbane. Interview data was analysed at the individual, social, and environmental levels to unearth resistance to PA via these thematic strata. Individual psychological barriers to being active that were unique to low SE suburbs included the 'lack of enjoyment' gained from PA. Both high and low SE suburbs reported being 'time poor'. For low SEP participants, this was driven by financial demands, and for high SEP participants, this was driven by work demands. Both groups reported being burnt out. Individual physical barriers for both groups included sore joints, injury, pelvic pain and weight. Social barriers unique to participants from a high SE suburb included 'opportunities to exercise socially', and 'mother guilt'. Both groups reported 'family responsibilities' as a social barrier. Neighbourhood changes that could increase PA in the low SEP suburb included facilities to increase walkability. Participants from the high SE suburb were largely satisfied with the state of their neighbourhood. This study provides foundational insight into improved public health strategies for increasing levels of PA amongst women in Brisbane from different SEP groups. Our findings support the idea that a combination of broad strategies and a targeted approach is needed. Key messages Women from high and low socioeconomic suburbs experience different barriers to physical activity. Health promotion strategies need to accommodate this to improve overall health and reduce inequality. Women from high and low socioeconomic suburbs face psychological, physical and social barriers to exercise. Broad health promotion strategies and a targeted approach is required to address barriers.

The Demise of an Australian Physical Activity Alliance

2018 ◽  
Vol 15 (10) ◽  
pp. 795-798
Author(s):  
Rebecca Reynolds ◽  
David Menzies ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Physical Activity ◽  
Health Promotion ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Government Funding ◽  
Collective Impact ◽  
Governmental Funding ◽  
Exercise Referral ◽  
Exercise Referral Scheme ◽  
National Physical Activity

Background: Physical activity health promotion coalitions are uncommon but important for beneficial collective impact on public health. The authors sought to obtain the viewpoints of member organizations of an Australian physical activity alliance, the National Physical Activity Alliance. Methods: The authors conducted an online survey regarding member agenda, commitment, and vision for the alliance. Questions were mostly open ended (eg, “What are the 3 areas of priority related to physical activity that you would like The Alliance to focus on?”). A total of 11 Australian organizations involved in physical activity public health (eg, the nongovernment organization Alzheimer’s Australia and the professional fitness association Fitness Australia). Results: 82% of members responded to the survey. Member programs and goals were diverse and overlapping. There was agreement among members that the main priority area for alliance focus was a national exercise referral scheme. Barriers for members achieving their own goals as well as alliance goals focused on governmental issues, including inadequate government funding for physical activity public health. Conclusions: This novel survey highlights the promise and difficulties of a physical activity coalition, with the difficulties, namely lack of governmental funding, resulting in a stagnation of the alliance’s activities since the study was carried out.

scholarly journals The UK Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme and changes in diet, physical activity and sleep during the COVID-19 pandemic: Evidence from eight longitudinal studies

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bozena Wielgoszewska ◽  
Jane Maddock ◽  
Michael J Green ◽  
Giorgio Di Gessa ◽  
Sam Parsons ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Longitudinal Studies ◽  
Social Protection ◽  
Vegetable Consumption ◽  
Recovery Period ◽  
Health Behaviours ◽  
Fruit And Vegetable Consumption ◽  
Job Retention ◽  
Fruit And Vegetable ◽  
The Uk

Background: In March 2020 the UK implemented the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (furlough) to minimize job losses. Our aim was to investigate associations between furlough and diet, physical activity, and sleep during the early stages of the pandemic. Methods: We analysed data from 25,092 participants aged 16 to 66 years from eight UK longitudinal studies. Changes in employment (including being furloughed) were defined by comparing employment status pre- and during the first lockdown. Health behaviours included fruit and vegetable consumption, physical activity, and sleeping patterns. Study-specific estimates obtained using modified Poisson regression, adjusting for socio-demographic characteristics and pre-pandemic health and health behaviours, were statistically pooled. Associations were also stratified by sex, age, and education. Findings: Across studies, between 8 and 25% of participants were furloughed. Compared to those who remained working, furloughed workers were slightly less likely to be physically inactive (RRR:0.85, [0.75-0.97], I2=58.7%) and did not differ in diet and sleep behaviours. In stratified analyses, furlough was associated with low fruit and vegetable consumption among males (RRR=1.11; 95%CI: 1.01-1.22; I2: 0%) but not females (RRR=0.84; 95%CI: 0.68-1.04; I2: 65%). Considering change in behaviour, furloughed workers were more likely than those who remained working to report increased fruit and vegetable consumption, exercise, and hours of sleep. Interpretation: Those furloughed exhibited broadly similar levels of health behaviours with those who remained in employment during the initial stages of the pandemic. Social protection policies in the post-pandemic recovery period and during future economic crises may help protect population health. Funding: Medical Research Council.

The context of healthcare

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-34
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Primary Care ◽  
Northern Ireland ◽  
Healthcare Services ◽  
Health Profile ◽  
Long Term Conditions ◽  
Key Concepts ◽  
The Uk

This chapter begins by covering the UK health profile, then defines the key concepts in primary care and public health, and outlines the generic long-term conditions model. It provides a brief overview of the National Health Service, including differences in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales. It covers current NHS entitlements for people from overseas, commissioning of services, and public health in a broader context. It also describes health needs assessment, and provides an overview of the services in primary care, the role of general practice, and other primary healthcare services. Further services, including those to prevent unplanned hospital admission, aid hospital discharge, those that support children and families, housing, social support, and care homes are all covered.

Health promotion and mental health

2018 ◽  
pp. 141-172
Author(s):  
Colin Palfrey
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Health Promotion ◽  
Mental Illness ◽  
Mental Health Promotion ◽  
Post Traumatic Stress ◽  
Obsessive Compulsive ◽  
Scottish Health Survey ◽  
Promotion Strategies ◽  
Mental Health Foundation ◽  
The Uk

This chapter examines health promotion campaigns and policies designed to raise the profile of mental health, and more specifically to help those suffering from mental illness. It begins with an overview of mental illnesses such as schizophrenia, depression, anxiety, obsessive compulsive disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, eating disorders, and personality disorders. It then considers the NHS policy on mental health; the mental health promotion strategies in the UK, including the Scottish Health Survey of 2016, the All Wales Mental Health Promotion Network, and the Mental Health Foundation report in Northern Ireland; the implications of the coexistence of physical and mental illness for policy makers and practitioners; and mental health charities such as Anxiety UK, Centre for Mental Health, Rethink Mental Illness, SANE and Time to Change. The chapter also discusses various mental health promotion strategies throughout the UK, locations for mental health promotion, and economic evaluations of mental health promotion.

Inequalities in Health: What Health Systems Can and Cannot Do

1996 ◽  
Vol 1 (3) ◽  
pp. 179-182 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peggy Foster
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Health Promotion ◽  
Health Status ◽  
Health Care Providers ◽  
Health Examination ◽  
Care Providers ◽  
Inequalities In Health ◽  
Department Of Health ◽  
The Uk

Health promotion activities are actively encouraged in most countries, including the UK. Meanwhile many health care providers and health experts are becoming increasingly concerned about the growing evidence of significant health inequalities between social groups in the UK, and in particular the strong association between relative deprivation and poor health. In 1995, a report for the British government entitled ‘Variations in health: What can the Department of Health and the NHS do?’, identified the need for the Department of Health and the NHS to play a key role in coordinating and implementing public health programmes intended to reduce inequalities in health. Examination of existing evidence on the effectiveness of health promotion and prevention programmes designed to improve the health status of the most vulnerable groups in society reveals very little evidence to support current enthusiasm for adopting public health strategies in order to reduce variations in health status between the affluent and the poor. Alternative and potentially more effective health care responses to inequalities in health status need to be considered.

Nurses' health behaviours and physical activity-related health-promotion practices

2015 ◽  
Vol 20 (6) ◽  
pp. 289-296 ◽  
Author(s):  
Savita Bakhshi ◽  
Fei Sun ◽  
Trevor Murrells ◽  
Alison While
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Health Promotion ◽  
Health Behaviours

scholarly journals Re-imagining risky health behaviour as salutogenic practice

2019 ◽  
Vol 29 (Supplement_4) ◽  
Author(s):  
R Cross
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Health Promotion ◽  
Risk Communication ◽  
Young Women ◽  
Communication Strategies ◽  
Compulsory Education ◽  
Health Behaviours ◽  
Health Practices ◽  
Health Promotion Interventions ◽  
Risk Discourse

Abstract Background Much has been written about the problematic risky health practices that some young women in western cultures engage in defined as, for example, drinking alcohol to excess, smoking and taking drugs. Conversely the literature is more limited with regards to the meaning that young women attribute to such ’unhealthy’ practices. Exploring and understanding meaning is important in order to design more effective health promotion interventions. Methods This paper will present findings from 22 in-depth interviews with young women aged 18 - 14 years in post-compulsory education who were invited to talk about health and risk. Discourse analysis was used to explore the data drawing on feminist and governmentality perspectives. Results The data presented complex constructions of risk taking in health drawing on intertwined discourses of moralism, healthy citizenship, idealised femininity and health as a gendered pursuit. However, the young women also constructed their ’unhealthy’ practices in alternative, more agentic, resistant and philosophical ways. Conclusions Based on these latter findings it is proposed that some risky health behaviours should be interpreted as salutogenic rather than pathogenic in nature. Subjective constructions of risky health practices as salutogenic should be taken into account in risk communication strategies and interventions in public health. Key messages Exploring and understanding meaning is important in order to design more effective health promotion interventions. Subjective constructions of risky health practices as salutogenic should be taken into account in risk communication strategies and interventions in public health.

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