Health promotion and disease prevention are programs focused on ensuring people remain healthy. Health promotion is the issuance of education or information to people families and communities; that enhance community commitment, family unity and traditional spirituality that contributes positively towards their health status (Trinh-Shevrin, 2015). WHO defines health promotion as the practice of creating an environment where individuals can enhance control over, and enrich their health (WHO, 2019). Disease prevention covers not only strategies to deter the occurrence of diseases such as reduction of risk factors, but also seizes growth of the disease and minimizes its consequences once recognized. Often at times disease prevention is complementary used with health promotion (Trinh-Shevrin, 2015). However, disease prevention is defined separately. Disease prevention is an action which originates from the health sector, covering population and individuals singled out and showing recognizable risk factors frequently associated with various risk behaviors.
WHO defines health as a state of comprehensive mental, physical, and social health and not simply the lack of infirmity or disease. The gratification of the maximum achievable health standard is one of the central rights of all human beings without into consideration the differences in religion, race, economic, political, and social conditions (WHO, 2019). WHO also acknowledges that active co-operation and informed opinion on health awareness by the public is crucial for the improvement of health among people.
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However, the definition by WHO faces major criticism with claims that it is unrealistic because it often leaves most people feeling unhealthy. A small number of people if any, will always have comprehensive mental, physical, and social health, which make the definition unconstructive and counterproductive. It is difficult to define health, and there is no universal definition of health. Hence, health is a dynamic and complicated concept whose meaning differs with the context the term health is used.
The historical perspective of health has changed over the centuries shifting from an individual concern to a global social goal. In the larger history of human health, medicine was founded on unverified ideas postulated by ancient Greek scholars (Fisher, 2016). Yellow bile, blood, black bile and phlegm and their efficient balance were contemplated the foundation of health. In the 19 th century discoveries were made that are the current foundations of modern medicine (Fisher, 2016). The nature of the changes of concept of health has been greatly swayed by the current primary belief systems involving causes of disease, prevention, and intervention. The changing key concepts of health include the biomedical idea, ecological concept, holistic concept, and psychosocial concept (Fisher, 2016). In addition, healthcare promotion and prevention are currently founded on evidence based concept.
The model of ecological health is an expansion of the perception of well-being to the ecosystem health. The ecosystem when subjected to stress such as pollution, transforms from healthy to irreversible pathological situations, even when the resulting distress elements are eradicated. The ecology of health signifies to the verity that prevailing ecological conditions influence the health of humans (David, 2015). Under distress, the ecosystem breaks down which creates a conducive milieu for a rise in pathogens, dwindling yields, recycling toxic constituents, compromise of food supply, air pollution, and shortage of portable, all these propagate vulnerability of human well-being (David, 2015). Tackling issues on human health from an ecological viewpoint takes into consideration the biophysical, ecological, and social factors. Therefore, it gives avenues for probable interferences "upstream," to avert illnesses, besides treating the illnesses when the malady has taken place.
Healthy People 2020 is a disease prevention program the federal government’ established in 2010 by the U.S Department of Health and Human Services for building a healthier country. Healthy People give science-based, ten-year national goals for enhancing the health of all United States citizens (Healthy People, 2019). Healthy People 2020 provide an agenda that conveys a vision of promoting health and attaining health equity. Healthy People 2020 aim at improving the outcomes of health by adopting prevention measures that attend to physical and social determinants of health (Healthy People, 2019). The objectives of the Healthy People 2020 agenda is to: achieve standard quality, prolonged lives devoid of disability, preventable diseases, eradicate inequalities, and promote the well-being of every person without discrimination. In addition, Healthy People 2020 aims at creating physical and social milieus that enhances quality health for all; and enhances the standard of life, healthy behaviours, and healthy development in all stages of life (Healthy People, 2019).
These levels of disease prevention include primary, secondary and tertiary levels of disease prevention (WHO, 2019). Primary prevention level includes the preventive strategies that avert the onset of injury or disease process before it starts. Primary prevention is achieved by averting the potential exposure to hazards that results in illnesses or injury, and augmenting injury or disease resistance in the event of vulnerability (WHO, 2019). Examples of primary preventions include instilling control or a ban on hazardous materials, education on safe and healthy practices (diet, not smoking), and immunization against infectious illnesses. Under primary care prevention there is The Transtheoretical Model of health promotion.
The Transtheoretical Model (TTM) is an integrative biopsychological paradigm to hypothesize the mechanism of intentional change of behaviour (Pro-Change, 2016). Though other existing models of behaviour change centers solely on particular aspects of change (models emphasizing primarily on biological and social influences), TTM aims at including and integrating vital constructs from other notions into a complete theory of transformation that can be used in several populations, behaviours, environment, thus the name Transtheoretical (Pro-Change, 2016).
Secondary prevention aims to minimize the magnitude of an injury or disease that has already started (WHO, 2019). Secondary prevention is achieved by recognizing and attending to an illness or injury immediately to stop or slacken its growth, promoting personal interventions to foil recurrence or re-injury, and executing programs to revert individuals to their previous function and health to avert long-term problems (WHO, 2019). Example of secondary prevention includes screening and physical exercise. Tertiary preventions are measures taken with the objective of rehabilitation after a chronic illness (WHO, 2019). At the level of tertiary prevention health workers can function to re-educate, retrain, and rehabilitate individuals who already have acquired a disability or impairment.
Nurses play a significant role in health promotion and disease prevention. APRNs training majors on holistic care for patients, communities, and families, hence, play a pivotal duty in the prevention and health advancement across the lifespan (Simons University, 2016). Thus, APRNs are in a unique position to have an impact on a patient's health by establishing robust, trusting, and enduring relationships. Through face to face conversations, APRNs encourage people to make good decisions on health and adopt positive life changes that assist in foiling chronic illnesses. APRNs can also help in disease prevention by going into communities where they promote health, educate and advocate for healthy living (Simons University, 2016)
The concept of vulnerability is essential in healthcare due to its consequences in health. The vulnerability experience induces anxiety and stress, which influences social, physiological and psychological aspect of an individual. Though everybody is vulnerable during different stages of their lives, some people are prone to develop health challenges than others due to a number of factors (Joszt, 2019). Vulnerability is influenced by individual factors, in addition to environmental factors. Vulnerable groups in the society include ethnic and racial minorities, the elderly the economically destitute and people with serious medical illnesses (Joszt, 2019). The increase in the number of vulnerable groups impacts hugely on the healthcare delivery system overburdening it.
The behavior the society deems as individually controllable is essential to whether individuals are judged as sinners or victims (Mechanic & Tanner, 2007). Such notions that people uphold have political salience and influence the hypotheses of suitable social policies (Mechanic & Tanner, 2007). State and federal government are more inclined to issue assistance to individuals who are perceived to be accountable for their vulnerability, for example, children, disabled veterans, the blind, and the elderly (Mechanic & Tanner, 2007).When individuals are judged as liable for the circumstances in their lives, for example, ex-offenders, substance abusers, or unwed mothers, the society feels less compassion for them and are often stigmatized.
Health disparities are differences that can be prevented in the burden of injury, disease, violence, or happenings to realize optimal wellbeing that is faced by socially deprived populations (CDC, 2016). Populations can be described by factors such as gender, ethnicity, race, income, education, and are directly linked to the current and historical uneven allocations of political, social, environmental and economic resources (CDC, 2016). Sources of health disparities include poverty, environmental risk factors, inequality in education, insufficient access to healthcare, and behavioral and individual factors. Addressing these disparities continues to be a substantive factor due to an increase in diversity. One of the main objectives of Healthy People 2020 was to deal with the disparities mentioned above to improve healthcare delivery (Healthy People, 2019).
Cultural competence in healthcare means the capacity of healthcare practitioners to provide quality care to patients with diverse cultural beliefs, values, and feelings. A medical provider is required to be culturally competent (Orenstein, 2015). When practitioners comprehend the cultural roots of their clients and theirs, they can indulge patients substantially and deliver better care. For a medical provider to deliver the utmost quality of healthcare, healthcare administration must incorporate the beliefs, need, experiences, and characteristics of the patient (Orenstein, 2015). A culturally proficient lens enables a practitioner to frame the client ’s medical condition in a manner that makes more sense to the client. Therefore, it allows for the development of a treatment plan that deals with the strengths and barriers that a patient is experiencing (Orenstein, 2015). The Cultural and Linguistic Competence Health Practitioner Association (CLCHPA) is mandated to promote the provision of high standard care for diverse patient populations and enhance linguistic and cultural as basic approaches tackling health and healthcare disparities.
Advocacy is the argument or support for a person or cause. Medical practitioners are advocates for their clients and improvement of healthcare (Arya, 2015). However, advocacy as a form of medical care can be confusing, especially when the duty of a medical practitioner in advocacy is not clear. The various interpretations available on advocacy make it difficult for medical practitioners to determine which advocacy strategies would be efficient and considered relevant (Arya, 2015). Medical practitioners can advocate for patients at various levels and various forms. For example, they can advocate for individual patients by demanding timely tests or referrals to hospitals. Besides, medical practitioners can advocate at regional levels such in the community health center (Arya, 2015). Hence nurses can advocate for better health practices among their patients and in the community.
Improved health is the key to human well-being and happiness. Health promotions also crucial for the growth of the economy because healthy people live longer, are very productive, and save more. Hence, interventions to promote health and diseases prevention are fundamental for any federal government and state.
Reference
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