Intervention to Promote Awareness of the Health Smoking Risks among London Metropolitan Students - Research Paper Example

 HEALTH PROMOTION REPORT Health promotion intervention to promote awareness of the health risks associated with smoking among London Metropolitan Undergraduate Students age 20 to 30 Abstract A health intervention program enables individuals improve control over their health behaviors. This is achieved through education and creating awareness on the importance of adaptation of healthy behaviors. These interventions are important as they promote, protect and prevent unhealthy lifestyles in the community. The paper outlines a health intervention program with an aim of delivering health promotion to 10 undergraduate students using the educational approach. The aim of the educational approach is provision of knowledge and information to the participants. From the study results, there was an increased knowledge on the risk illnesses associated with smoking, benefits associated and ways of quitting smoking thus the intervention proved to be effective. Key words: health promotion, educational approach, program, smoking, intervention, healthy behavior Table of Contents Abstract 1 Introduction 3 Aim of the health promotion 4 Process objective 4 Objectives of intervention/ Educational objectives 4 Academic evidence 5 Methodology 7 Evaluation 8 Results 10 Participant’s knowledge on risk illnesses associated to smoking 10 Information on the benefits of quitting smoking 11 Information on how to quit smoking 11 Discussion 12 Recommendations 13 Conclusion 13 Appendix: Process evidence to quit smoking 14 Introduction A health promotion intervention is a process that enables individuals to increase control over and improve their health care condition. It is an initiated strategy that has an aim of influencing, informing and assisting both organizations and people to accept responsibility and be more active in health matters that influence their physical and mental health issues (Mills et al. 2007, 47). It entails education, political and economic related programs that are designed to support behavioral changes as well as environmental changes in an effort of enhancing the individual’s health status. It is important for individuals to take responsibility for their health, and a health-promoting program enhances this by challenging people to change their individual lifestyles in an effort of mitigating the effects of change. It is also crucial for individuals to preserve their minds and hearts as physical health is as important as mental health to enhance the growth of a healthy population that is better enhanced through education and sensitization. A health promotion intervention is thus important to help in health promotion (Saunders et al. 2005, 139). An intervention program is an action set that has a coherent objective of bringing change, or it is aimed at producing identifiable outcomes. This entails policies, single strategy projects and programs. Health promotion interventions are aimed at protecting, promoting as well as preventing unhealthy living in communities and societies (Warren, et, al 2011, 2). They differ from the clinical interventions that are aimed at treating illness on the ill-affected individuals. However, before conducting a health promotion program, it is essential to get the reason as to why individuals make decisions that they do in regards to their health and take the risk on their healthy status. This is essential as it helps in determining the appropriate measures and interventions to undertake in order to promote and enhance healthy living. There are many approaches adopted in regards to the health promotion programs (Labonte & Laverack 2001, 118). This health promotion program undertaken utilizes the educational approach. The purpose is raising awareness in regards to the risks that are associated with smoking to ten students at the University. Aim of the health promotion Smoking has been associated with several health risks. This includes an increased incidence of getting lung cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, pneumonia, emphysema and bronchitis. It also increases the possibility of getting a stroke and a coronary heart disease. It causes over 100,000 deaths every year accounting for one in every five deaths in the U.K. Thus, it increases the death risk for all women and men. Thus, the aim of the health promotion program was raising awareness of the risks that are associated with smoking to university students in an effort of changing their smoking behaviors. Process objective To deliver a health promotion intervention to 10 undergraduate students using the educational approach Objectives of intervention/ Educational objectives By the end of the health promotion intervention, all the participants should be able to: 1. Identify four-risk illnesses that are associated to smoking 2. State three benefits of quitting smoking 3. State how they could quit smoking Academic evidence Wellness cannot be delegated, but it can be facilitated and encouraged because it is a personal initiative. Health promotion programs are organized programs designed to support and engage individuals to adopt healthy lifestyle and sustain them (Nutbeam 1986, par 1). This is through the adaptation of appropriate behaviors in an effort of reducing the associated health risks, enhance their individual effectiveness as well as improve their quality of life. Successful health promotion programs utilize educational based approach to enhance the modification of health risks that are linked to behaviors such as the utilization of tobacco (ASH, 2011, par 1). These programs entail health-related educational services, individual health risk identification, preventive health services as well as risk reduction services. Some of these programs are quick to implement as compared to others that will require sustained behavioral change such as smoking cessation and weight management programs (Renaud et al. 2008, 75). Amongst most individuals, maintenance of individual health is often considered as a difficult challenge amidst the social, family and workday obligations. However, the adaptation of healthy behaviors is essential to help in reducing the risks that are associated with disability development, threatening conditions and their associated costs, but as well is important in enhancing the quality of life. Health promotion programs that address the individual health behaviors and the associated safety risks that are associated with unhealthy behaviors are important in reducing disease risks (Farquhar et al. 2006, 241). Thus, health promotion programs are essential in helping individuals to develop knowledge on self-management and adaptation of healthy behaviors. These health programs are essential and should be encouraged and advocated for to enhance the quality of life. Smoking leads to over 100, 000 deaths in the UK every year and of these 43, 000 are from smoking-associated cancers, 31, 000 are from cardiovascular diseases, 30, 000 are from emphysema, bronchitis and other smoking-associated illness (Lifson & Lando 2012, 227). Cigarette contains over 4, 000 harmful chemical compounds to the body and of these substances 400 are toxic to the body (El Ensari, and Stock 2012, 3). Smoking a cigarette causes it to burn at 700-degree centigrade at its tip and 60 degrees at the core leading it to produce various body toxins (Baker et al. 2000, 736). These toxins produced include tar a carcinogen substance, nicotine that cause addiction and is associated with increased risk of getting a heart disease, as well as high blood pressure and carbon monoxide (Bian, Maolin, Liu, Fan, Eshita and Sun 2012, par 2) . Individuals who smoke have a seven to eight years reduced life expectancy rate thus smokers die young and few live to enjoy their old age. It is estimated that the number of individuals dying under the age of 60 years from smoking related conditions in the United Kingdom exceeds the total figure of deaths that are caused by accidents, HIV/AIDS, breast cancer and drug addiction (Song et al. 2009, 489). It has been established that health promotion is essential in empowering individuals to be aware of policies and promote the improvement in health and lifestyles. According to evidence on student smoking, smoking was due to lack of substantial health promotion intervention among students in the UK that resulted in increased prevalence of smoking (Steptoe, Wardle, Cui W et al, (2002). However, recent interventions and research on the prevalence of smoking among University Students according to ACHA (2009) bridges this gap and has provided precious information to the public health community. Quitting smoking is essential as it offers long-term and immediate benefits to the users. It reduces the risks that are associated with the development of smoking-related illnesses and helps in improving health in multiple ways. This can be better enhanced through health promotion programs to educate smokers on the associated risks and help them quit smoking by offering them with support (Balmford et al. 2008, 10). The aim of the health promotion program was achieving this by empowering ten university students to help them quit smoking. The educational approach was used with an aim of providing knowledge and information to these users to enable them make informed choices in regards to their health. Improved access to education is crucial to enhance increased client choice and help them make better decisions. Health promotion programs are important to enhance the availability and assessment of information to the public. Methodology The intervention involved 10 male and female students at Humanity London Metropolitan who were smokers in the university from different ethnic background aged between 20 and 30 years. Due to time, constrain issues, only ten participants were chosen for the study. The goal involved raising awareness on the associated risks that are associated to smoking through education provision. The intervention involved going round the campus and looking for students that smoked. The students were asked if they could take part in the study by consent seeking. Participants were introduced to the study with aim and objectives stipulated, a questionnaire was administered to help in understanding the choices made by the participants, a video was presented, education was then done and a second questionnaire was presented to the participants for evaluation. A discussion was then held afterwards that entailed answers, questions and the feedback forms were collected. The ethical principles of the patients were respected and they were treated with dignity, respect and confidentiality was ensured. The aim of the health promotion program was to protect and promote their health and wellbeing by helping them to make better health choices in their life and quit their smoking habits. With the aim of promoting wider breath of knowledge regarding the health risks associated with smoking and enabling the smokers to make better informed decisions in regards to healthy lifestyle, the educational approach intervention was adopted for the study. The objective of the approach was to enable students find their own values and attitudes through appropriate information regarding the health risks to help them make informed decisions regarding better health choices. This approach was used in contrast with the behavioral model as the key goal was persuading the smokers to stop smoking and help nonsmokers from starting smoking. Thus, the educational approach was appropriate in providing the participants with opportunities of exploring their attitudes whilst at the same time enabled them in adopting healthy behaviors. Evaluation Evaluation is the process of determining the effectiveness of a project or an intervention in an effort to determining if the stipulated objectives have been achieved. In a health promotion program, it is the process of assessing the extent to which the program has achieved the valued outcome (Mohr et al. 2013, 520). Participants taking part in the study were educated on the advantages of quitting smoking and the associated risk illness resulting from smoking. It is not an easy decision to quit smoking due to addiction problems resulting from nicotine substance in cigarettes but with the appropriate support; it can be possible. Thus, members were educated and advised of the available support services that they could seek help from. Methods used for education included engaging them in discussions and through audio and visual means through a video. Evaluation involved providing the participants with a questionnaire after education that they filled and engaged them in questions for discussion and feedback forms were collected. Evaluation was important to determine if the achievement results were met, it was important to determine if the education methods used were effective, it was essential to help in providing areas for improvement in the future practice as well as in identifying the unplanned outcomes of interventions. Success in a health promotion intervention is all about improving the health outcomes of the individual. According to Németh (2006), a health outcome is a change in the health behavior of an individual that can be attributed to the intervention that is achieved through empowerment, collaboration, capacity building and collaboration. Empowered individuals can gain control and understanding over their personal choices that they make. Thus, evaluation will determine the empowerment of the participants in regards to making decisions about their health choices. Pre-intervention questionnaire Objectives Overall response in % Age and gender Identify four-risk illnesses that are associated to smoking 45% State three benefits of quitting smoking 49% State how an individual could quit smoking 42% Post -intervention questionnaire Objectives Overall response in % Age and gender Identify four-risk illnesses that are associated to smoking 90% State three benefits of quitting smoking 87.5% State how an individual could quit smoking 88% Results The following are the results of the health promotion program study that was carried out to raise the awareness of the risk that were associated to smoking to 10 university students at the university. Participants were educated on the risks associated with smoking as well as the benefits involved and questionnaires and feedbacks forms were collected. Participant’s Demographic characteristics Majority of the respondents that took part in the study were male (80 percent, n- 8) while the female were 20 percent (n- 2). Majority of the participants were between the age of 21 and 25 (n- 9) with only one participant aged 25 years and above. Participants sex distribution Male Female 80 percent 20 percent Participants age distribution 20 -24 25 -30 90 percent 10 percent Participant’s knowledge on risk illnesses associated to smoking After education there was a 100 percent association between smoking and lung cancer and cardiovascular disease risk, 80 percent linked smoking to emphysema and COPD while 90 percent of the participants linked smoking to pneumonia. There was an increased knowledge on risk illnesses associated to smoking. Lung cancer 100 percent Emphysema 80 percent Pneumonia 90 percent Cardiovascular risk (stroke, coronary disease) 100 percent Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease 80 percent Chronic bronchitis 90 percent Information on the benefits of quitting smoking There was an increased knowledge on benefits of quitting smoking. 100 percent of the participants linked quitting smoking to a reduction of smoking associated illness and improved health status, 80 percent associated quitting to improved life expectancy and 70 percent said that it would enhance the individual’s quality of life. Reduces the risk illnesses associated to smoking 100 percent Increases the individuals life expectancy 80 percent Improves the health of the individual 100 percent Enhances the quality of life 70 percent Information on how to quit smoking The participants provided the following information on how to quit smoking; reducing the number of cigarettes that they smoked gradually and seeking help from health care programs. Reducing the number of cigarette smoked gradually Seeking help from appropriate heath care programs Discussion From the health promotion, study participants who took part in the study were male 80 percent while female 20 percent. The age group was between 20 and 25 years. Before the study, the participants lacked the appropriate education on the risk illnesses that were associated to smoking. Majority said that they started smoking due to peer pressure and wanted to quit smoking but due to inappropriate support, it proved difficult. If they had the appropriate education on smoking effects, they would have quit long time ago. However, after the health education program, the participants illustrated a strong understanding on the risk illnesses that are associated to smoking with smoking being linked to lung cancer (100%), emphysema (80%), pneumonia (90%), cardiovascular risk (100%), COPD (80%) and chronic bronchitis 90 percent. Thus, there was an increased knowledge on the risk illnesses associated with smoking. Participants were able to state the benefits that were linked to quitting smoking illustrating an increased level of awareness. They linked quitting smoking to a reduction of smoking associated illness, an improved health status and improved life expectancy. In regards on the information on how to stop smoking, 90 percent were ready to give up smoking and they stated that they would reduce the number of cigarette smoked gradually and fight with their addiction and seek help from appropriate health care programs. Thus, the health promotion program proved to be effective as it aroused the awareness of the participants and they were willing to give up smoking. The stipulated program interventions were met. Quitting smoking is essential as it offers short and long-term benefits to the users. Recommendations I recommend that more smoking health promotion programs to be conducted in the university and the trend to be adopted in other universities to enhance the wellbeing of the students. I recommend that more health promotion programs be conducted to enhance healthy living in the university environment Conclusion A health promotion intervention is a process that enables individuals to increase control over and improve their health care condition. It is an initiated strategy that has an aim of influencing, informing and assisting both organizations and people to accept responsibility and be more active in health matters that influence their physical and mental health issues. The aim of the health promotion program was raising awareness of the risks that are associated with smoking to university students in an effort of changing their smoking behaviors. The educational approach was used with an aim of providing knowledge and information to the participants to enable them make informed choices in regards to their health. Improved access to education is crucial to enhance increased client choice and help them make better decisions. 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