A Healthy Mind Lives in a Healthy Body - Essay Example

Health Promotion Report Rationale and Task: A healthy mind lives in healthy body. It is a proven fact that health is the most imperative part of our lives. One of the greatest indicators of health and well being in a particular community is depicted in terms of existence of healthy children. These developing healthy minds are the future of the nation as they are going to become the healthy adult citizens making active communities (Barnes and Row, 2008). The emphasis is laid down to promote health is based on the research and everyday practice to explore those areas of health practice that have not traditionally emerged out in health promotion text (Moodie and Hulme, 2004). As per the guidelines published by the Moodie and Hulme in their book; the assignment is also promoting "building blocks for health promotion" with an understanding of epidemiology and measures population health of a particular community. The assignment evaluates and examines closely the health needs of a specific age group of children belonging to 5-10 years. Based on this evaluation a health promotion activity must be implemented for the particular group of population. This is promoted with the use of signage, posters, radio interview/announcement, health education (e.g. stall at the local show or shopping centre), structured change (e.g. health awareness classes), advocacy (e.g. providing support to implement change such as lobbying the local council to tackle the problem of risk taking behavior by teenage boys) and capacity building by encouraging the development of policy (e.g. media advertising to encourage men to engage in regular exercise) (Barnes and Row, 2008). Promotional strategies creating awareness about the health either at the local school, shopping centre, child care centre, community health centre must be implemented for this a deep understanding about the community must be made (Talbot, 2005). Educational strategies encompass the level of education of the community being addressed. This must be focused and kept under consideration to convey the message and make the message understood by the community. For this a role model must be organized to discuss the issues with the target group. Promotion of such issues can be performed with the help of media (Talbot, 2005). To gather support to the strategy thorough campaigning with the Roads and Traffic Authorities must be done. This not only provides funding but also expertise to assist with the activities and must be advocated in order to support the program (Child and Youth Health). A health sector must be involved to encourage the development of the policies to provide a mandate for the community to follow and assure them for its safety. The documents must be submitted related with the evaluation of health promotion activities. It must emphasize the action plan to be implemented (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare). All these activities require the process of information gathering, evaluation, influencing policy, public health law, advocacy, communication, leadership and management, partnerships and community mobilization (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare). The report identifies the need of the target group localized at the indo china community centre. This group encompasses asthmatic children belonging to the age group of 5-7 years. A deep understanding about the community is required to formulate the health promotion strategies. Awareness about the language spoken by these people, their cultural impact, their socioeconomic status is the imperative part of the health promotion strategies (SIDS Australia). The contact must be established with the target group either through personal meetings or through contacts to gather the required information. For this teacher of the school or area health profession must be confided to procure the data. The data collected must be recorded and filed to get the assessment. Their day to day life and eating habits must be emphasized so as to get an overall view for carrying out the assessment. Every community adopts different life style and eating habits based on their geographical distribution. This is very crucial part for promoting health programme either a new one or altering the existing one. The existing health strategies must also be read and understood for indo china community centre. This encompasses all the activities being carried out in the community (SIDS Australia). It must be taken into consideration that program must incorporate the existing policy and gradually new aspects must be highlighted and introduced explaining the benefits individuals can derive by following a definite pattern of the program (Child and family health). The target group that identified for the present study is a small group of asthmatic children aged 5 to 7 years at the Indo China community centre. The children have an Indo Chinese background. This was chosen specifically to address the needs of Indo Chinese children and develop community-based, culturally appropriate interventions with the Indo Chinese communities' participation. The central manager and program co-coordinator were contacted for all the information related with the asthmatic children. An introduction letter from university and an invitation letter were sent to the parents and children to attend an afternoon tea and asthma group discussion session (Issues in Parenting and Family life). About 80% of the invited parents attended the session. The session was carried out by the author in the presence of the program coordinator. It was an open discussion in a congenial atmosphere and every single person was provided with the chance to discuss and voice their concerns about asthma. A minor number of parents required an interpreter (the role of which was performed by the author and the program coordinator). It is therefore compulsory to understand the local language and also their cultural characteristic for the successful transmission of the health issues and concerns (Wong, 2006). After much discussion, the session concluded where parents and children were able to ask questions (Kids Health), encompassing: How does food help to avoid an asthmatic attack Foods that trigger attacks (according to child's susceptibility), can be: Foods containing the additives benzoates, Cider, wine and beer Foods containing yeast or mould, such as bread and blue cheeses Foods, drinks and snacks containing colorings Cow's milk, cereals (wheat), eggs, fish, soy, and nuts (especially peanuts) (WHO). On the other hand food items also help to control the severity of an attack. One of the best-known foods for doing this is coffee, as it contains caffeine (WHO). Children expressed concern about the use and management of medication via a spacer: Young children need a spacer device to get the drug delivered to the lungs appropriately. The inhaler is put in one end of the spacer and the child breathes in and out through the other end and the drug is then administered through the spacer (Pediatric nursing links). Parents seek available resources for getting aids and help: various handouts were provided in the local language so as to provide a deep insight to the parents regarding the discussion. Those who were interested showed much concern about their child and they were recommended various and articles to upgrade their information and are requested to follow the guidelines strictly. These guidelines incorporate the issues related to food intake which are essential (Talbot, 2005). To make a program a success it is essential to outline the possible failures so as to be prepared for the consequences and questions thereupon. In the similar manner the current program also encountered several barriers, they are: 1. Non-compliance due to language barrier as majority of the population speaks only the local language and they are not bilingual, moreover they do not understand anything if spoken in any other language. 2. Lack of resources available for the community as the community belongs to a small place not much of the resources of awareness are available to understand the serious implications of the disease and they are solely dependent on the local doctors or home doctors or some natural remedies (Pediatric nursing links ) 3. Children are dependent on the parents to access help (Child and family health). Strengths of the program: (Resources for nurses and families) 1. The program has provided the supportive environment for both, the parents and also for children as both were free to understand the issues and ask the doubts related with the disease. They were provided an open platform for free and congenial discussion to clear their doubts (Child and family health). 2. Convenient location of the centre to seek any support or help. 3. Parents and children have shown genuine interest and eagerness to get involved, to learn and to improve their health status in order to have a successful future and better quality of life (Child and family health). 4. Parents and children are from similar backgrounds and cultures as parents play the major role in the child's upbringing. This helps create a sense of belonging and will increase social contact and understanding (Child and family health). Implementation of Health Promotional Strategies: 1. Promotional strategy: To encourage/ motivate the participants to take actions to enhance control over their own condition, to create awareness about asthma within this group. To communicate and inform the group about the promotion strategies (Barnes, 2008; Moodie, 2004;). 2. Educational strategy: to educate and provide opportunities to improve their children's health condition. To develop knowledge and build their self esteem to support parents and children to increase the awareness about the asthma (Moodie, 2004; Talbt, 2005; Wong, 2006). 3. Advocacy: this is a promotional offer and hence the author contacted the promotional officer, area asthma educator and the asthma foundation as well as the centre manager. The motive of these contacts was to seek recommendation, support, and information about dos' and don'ts using the promotional sessions (Wong, 2006). 4. Capacity building was also considered in this project, but since the centre was newly established so not much emphasis could be laid (Barnes, 2008; Moodie, 2004; Wong, 2006) Evaluation of the program is carried out based on the following criterion: 1. Based on feedback from parents and children via short simple questionnaires 2. Based on informal verbal feedback from participants 3. Based on feedback from the centre manager and program coordinator (United Nationals Children's Fund) Learning Objectives: 1. To increase participants' understanding and implementation of the strategies available to them. 2. To advocate the participants to understand and employ the promotional strategies. 3. To support participants and increase their awareness about their own condition. 4. Participants will be able to identify and manage asthma triggers 5. The children will be more confident in managing their medication 6. Parents will be able to locate available support and resources (United Nationals Children's Fund) RESOURCES/ ACTIONS PLANNED TO IMPLEMENT THE HEALTH PROMOTION ACTIVITY Session 1: for children, the author will employ colorful posters to attract their attention and simple words so that they can easily understand and diagrams of medication administration via a spacer, steps to manage asthma (Barnes, 2008; Moodie, 2004) The author will ask the children whom have managed asthma by administrating medications via the spacer to bring along their spacer so that author could assess their current skills and knowledge individually and go through and demonstrate the recommended techniques to administer the medication (Barnes, 2008; Moodie, 2004). By displaying educational video (Barnes, 2008; Moodie, 2004). Session 2: will be for parents with resource folders in both English and their own language which includes pamphlets, booklets and brochures that provide useful information to meet their concerns. This also includes displaying educational videos. Session 3: will combine both parents and children, the aim is to repeat the workshop again and I will go through any concerns that participants may raise (Barnes, 2008; Moodie, 2004). Conclusion: From the literature review and above mentioned data related with the demography of the community of a particular geographical distribution it is imperative to understand that the geography and climatic conditions plays a major role in the demography of the region. Indo china community centre is rich in terms of demography as china is having the highest population in the world followed by India; the study is conducted in over populated part of the planet. High population diminishes the supply of food and nutrients to all the individuals resulting in malnourishment or poor socioeconomic status. It also amplifies the struggle for the survival. There is unequal distribution of economy leading to poverty and unemployment. This gives birth to the corruption and ineffective implementation of health promotion projects. The projects how so ever keenly and meticulously designed will never attain success unless awareness for control in family size is stressed upon in this area of the world. Natural resources are diminishing and to world is facing huge economic crisis therefore proper designing of the health promotion program is must and is advocated. Summary: The article presented is basically concerned with the health promotion in the Indo- China population which is high in demographic percentage. The information about their culture and their food habit play imperative part in formulating the appropriate health promotion plan and assess the methodology which could be implemented in promoting the defined methodology. The foremost step is to gather the information about their existing habits and then through an open discussion the population should be convinced about what alternatives they can adopt to have better health prospects. It is therefore essential that identification of needs of target group is studied and then a communication should be maintained with the target group by organizing and meeting with them and maintaining all the gathered information as a record. Further to have a knowledge of existing policies an interview of health service and health professional is imperative along with the interview of teachers to collect the required data. A demographic data is also vital which a part of the study is taken into consideration and then people must be convinced about the alternative methods. Above all a co-operative and congenial atmosphere should be developed to implement the refined health policy for promoting health benefits to the population. References: 1. Barnes, M. & Rowe, J. (eds.) 2008, Child, youth and family health. Strengthening communities. http://eprints.utas.edu.au/1861/1/Family_assessment_CH1.pdf 2. Moodie, R. Hulme, A. (Eds) Hands-on Health Promotion, IP Communications, Melbourne, 2004 http://www.rch.org.au/emplibrary/ahsep/handsonhealth.pdf 3. Talbot, L., Verrindor, G. 2005, Promoting Health: The primary health care approach. 4. Wong, D., Perry, S.E., Hockenberry, M.J., Lowdermilk, D.L. & Wilson, D 2006, Maternal child nursing care. 5. Australian Institute of Health and Welfare http://www.aihw.gov.au 6. International Journal of Mental Health Promotion http://www.charity.demon.co.uk/jjourn.htm 7. World Health Organisation http://www.who.int 8. Resources for nurses and families http://pegasus.cc.ucf.edu/wink/home.html 9. Child and family health http://pegasus.cc.ucf.edu/wink/child.html 10. Child and Youth Health** http://www.cyh.com/Default.aspxp=1 11. SIDS Australia Online http://www.sidsandkids.org/ 12. Kids Health** http://www.kidshealth.org 13. Issues in Parenting and Family life http://www.facs.gov.au/ 14. Pediatric nursing links http://www.genrx.com/Mosby/Wong/essentials/clinicians_corner.html 15. United Nationals Children's Fund http://www.unicef.org Read More