Health Promotion and Public Health - the Status of the Health - Essay Example

Reflective journal on the status of my health Introduction I am 34 years old woman and mother of three children. Seven years back, we all moved from Bulgaria to UK. I am in perfect health. I have strong socio-psychological perspective of health which is responsible for my good health and that of my family members. Reflective practices become intrinsic part of growth processes that help to identify and evaluate one’s actions and viewpoints so that shortcomings could be properly addressed and one’s strength could be judiciously exploited for higher productive outcome. My health and my family’s well-being are hugely important parts of my life. Thus, the current reflective journal is good tool to assess the status of my health. 2. Reflection practice Healthcare imperatives were always vital issues in our family as the increasing healthcare cost were major concern for middle class family. The market driven healthcare modules like insurance are not sufficient for meeting the health related needs and requirements of middle class family. Compromise on health is common across this segment of society. 2.1 Health and well-being The socio-psychological perspective of health and well-being encompasses myriad factors that impact individual’s actions and experiences. World Health Organization (1998) has defined health as ‘a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity’ while well-being is ‘both a state and a process, and it is multi-dimensional... Similarly, ill-being cannot be simplistically equated with material poverty, misery or frustrated goal achievement.’ (ESRC, 2007). Thus, concept of health and well-being are broadly driven by socio-environmental compulsions. They necessitate an integrated approach that can address environmental factors like fast food, environment degradation, pollution, smoking, drug addiction etc. 2.2 What does being healthy means to me Health has holistic meaning for me that includes physical, mental and psychological well-being. Environmental factors become highly crucial elements that impact my health and well-being. The financial constraints, recessive environment, higher cost of healthcare delivery, stress etc. become crucial issues that adversely impact my health. Thus, for me, being healthy involves things like: enjoying being with family and friends; having a job; feeling happy; taking regular exercise, enjoying work without too much stress etc. But evaluating various choices, I realize that the six most important health imperatives are: having a job; taking regular exercise; enjoying my work without much stress; eating right food; able to adapt easily to big changes in life; and enjoying some form of recreation. My health priority relies on preventive actions, keeping positive attitude and being happy in all situations. Indeed, being able to adapt to different situation is my major strength that enables me to develop wider and broader perspective of change so that I can exploit it for new opportunities of growth. I constantly strive to enjoy my work so that I am not stressed. Moreover, I strongly believe in alternative healthcare modules that emphasize preventive measures. Thus, keeping fit also means that I take regular exercise and recreational activities to rejuvenate body and soul. I do cycling, yoga and meditation daily. 2.3 Evolving perspective of health and well-being My ideas of health have undergone systematic changes since childhood. At different age, my perspectives on health were impacted and influenced by different things and people. As a child, eating my favourite food like ice cream, burger etc. was considered healthy because other children were also eating ice creams. During teenage, diet coke, burger with lots of salad and healthy food was considered as important part of being healthy. After employment, I realized that stress was adversely affecting my mental and physical well-being. So I made effort to reduce stress by evaluating situations and people so that conflicts are resolved and better understanding is developed across colleagues for higher productivity. As mother, I now believe that holistic approach to health greatly facilitates all round development of individuals. 2.4 Dimensions of health The various dimensions of health are essential ingredients in holistic care. Mental, environmental, emotional, social and societal imperatives significantly contribute to higher health outcome. They are also key facilitators that promote holistic approach. Indeed, the holistic approach incorporates myriad aspects of individual’s life and broadens the scope of effective healthcare delivery (Scriven, 2010). It emphasizes on treating the disease as part of the wider perspectives that takes into account the physical, mental and social aspect of the individuals rather than as an isolated event. My opting for nursing professional was considerably influenced by my holistic approach to healthcare delivery. The training therefore has strengthened my beliefs in using holistic approach. I strongly believe that in the current environment of rapid globalization, recessive environment and transforming value system, holistic approach to health and well-being empowers individuals and provides them with effective tools that promote faster recovery, self-efficacy and most importantly, it motivates them for lifestyle changes for higher health outcome. When people become more aware of the environmental factors that adversely impact their health, they tend to take appropriate measures to meet the health related challenges. A holistic approach to healthcare redefines health in terms of environmental factors and therefore encourages people to develop more empathetic attitude towards people with disability. Thus people with disability, including learning disability, physical disability etc. are not viewed from the medical perspectives but through social model which promotes inclusion by creating facilitating environment for them to become independent. Diabetes and HIV are lifestyle diseases and people control them through changes in lifestyles. For people who live in poverty, being healthy is having two meals a day. People with dementia lose the concept of being healthy and therefore, it has no relevance for them. But for children, being healthy means that they are allowed to eat fast food, enjoy outdoor activities and be happy. 3. Analysis and Conclusion Behavioural change model has been the most effective theory that has influenced my health and ideas about health (Prochaska & Velicer, 1997). Observing the results of actions and applications of new measures that promote better health outcomes, I have learnt to change my behaviour. I have found that being positive and understanding has helped me to adapt to new situations and face challenges with more confidence. Exercises and recreational activities along with positive attitude provide one with psychological resilience that helped to reduce stress which was reflected in higher work performance (Ong et al., 2006). Reflection on my health status has provided me with better understanding of the health promotion techniques that are cost effective as well as sustainable. (words: 1068) Reference ESRC. (2007) Wellbeing in International Development. Available: http://www.welldev.org.uk/conference2007/abstracts-papers.htm. [19 Feb. 2014]. Ong,A.D.,Bergman, C.S.,Binsionti,T. L., Wallace, K. A. (2006) ‘Psychological resilience, positive emotions and successful adaptation to stress in later life.’, Journal of Personality and Social Psycholology, vol. 91, no. 4, pp. 730-749 Prochaska, J. O., & Velicer, W. F. (1997) ‘The Transtheoretical Model of health behavior change.’ American Journal of Health Promotion, vol.12, pp. 38-48. Scriven, A. (2010) Promoting Health: A Practical Guide, London: Bailliere Tindall Elsevier. World Health Organization. (1998). List of Basic Terms: Health Promotion Glossary. Available http://www.who.int/hpr/NPH/docs/hp_glossary_en.pdf [19 Feb. 2014]. Read More