Health Promotion: Definitions, Assumptions

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Health Promotion Definitions, Assumptions
Program Development

• S. Maggie Reitz, PhD, OTR/L, FAOTA
• Cheryl M. Deeter, OTS
• Department of Occupational Therapy Occupational
  Science
• Towson University

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Definitions

• Health Behavior
• Those behaviors that impact a persons health
• (McKenzie Smeltzer, 1997, p. 2)
• Health Education
• The continuum of learning which enables people,
  as individuals and as members of social
  structures, to voluntarily make decisions, modify
  behaviors, and change social conditions in ways
  which are health enhancing.
• (Joint Committee on Health Education
  Terminologys report as cited in McKenzie
  Smeltzer, 1997)

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Definitions

• Health Education
• Any combination of learning experiences designed
  to facilitate voluntary adaptations of behavior
  conducive to health.
• (Green, Kreuter, Deeds, and Partridges study as
  cited in McKenzie Smeltzer, 1997)

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Health Educator Role

• Assess needs for health education
• Plan effective programs
• Implement programs
• Evaluate effectiveness
• Coordinate health education services
• Serve as resource person
• Communicate needs, concerns, resources

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Definitions

• Health Promotion
• Any combination of health education and related
  organizational, political and economic
  interventions designed to facilitate behavioral
  and environmental adaptations that will improve
  or protect health.
• (USDHHS study as cited in McKenzie
  Smeltzer, 1997)
• Health Promotion and Disease Prevention
• The aggregate of all purposeful activities
  designed to improve personal and public health
  through a combination of strategies, including
  the competent implementation of behavioral change
  strategies, health education, health protection
  measures, risk factor detection, health
  enhancement and health maintenance. (Joint
  Committee on Health Education Terminologys
  report as cited in McKenzie Smeltzer, 1997)

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Definitions

• Primary Prevention
• Preventive measures that forestall the onset of
  illness or injury during the prepathogenesis
  period.
• (McKenzie Smeltzer, 1997, p. 5)
• Secondary Prevention
• Preventive measures that lead to early diagnosis
  and prompt treatment of a disease, illness, or
  injury to limit disability, impairment, or
  dependency and prevent more severe pathogenesis.
• (McKenzie Smeltzer, 1997, p. 5)

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Definitions

• Tertiary Prevention
• Preventive measures aimed at rehabilitation
  following significant pathogenesis.
• (McKenzie Smeltzer, 1997, p. 5)
• Target Population
• The specific individual or group expected to
  benefit from the health education or health
  promotion effort, ie. Elderly, diabetics,
  parents, teenagers, or individual patient.

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Assumptions

• Health status can be changed
• (McKenzie Smeltzer, 1997, p. 7)
• Disease occurrence theories and principles can
  be understood (Bates and Winders study as
  cited in McKenzie Smeltzer, 1997)
• Appropriate prevention strategies can be
  developed to deal with the identified health
  problems (Bates and Winders study as cited in
  McKenzie Smeltzer, 1997) .

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Assumptions

• An individuals health is affected by a variety
  of factors, not just lifestyle. Other factors
  include heredity, environment, and the health
  care system
• (McKenzie Smeltzer, 1997, p. 7)
• Changes in individual and societal health
  behaviors and lifestyles will affect an
  individuals health status positively (Bates
  Winders study as cited in McKenzie Smeltzer,
  1997).

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Assumptions

• Individuals, families, small groups, and
  communities can be taught to assume
  responsibility for their health, which in turn
  changes their health behaviors and lifestyles
  (Bates and Winders study as cited in McKenzie
  Smeltzer, 1997)
• Individual responsibility should not be viewed
  as victim blaming
• (McKenzie Smeltzer, 1997, p. 7)

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Assumptions

• For health behavior change to be permanent, an
  individual must be motivated and ready to change
  
• (McKenzie Smeltzer, 1997, p. 7)

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Program Development
Identifying the problem(s)
Setting goals and objectives
Assessing needs
Developing an intervention
Implementing the intervention
Evaluating the results
A Generalized Model for Program Development
(McKenzie Smeltzer, 1997, p. 8)
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Reference

• McKenzie, J. F., Smeltzer, J. L. (1997).
  Planning, implementing, and evaluating health
  promotion programs (2nd ed.). Boston Allyn and
  Bacon.