Introduction
Health promotion has recently become the public topic in the UK. This has been enhanced by the government through its role that it plays in promoting health awareness in the public. Since 1980s, the UK government has been educating the public on health issues through its health agents and it regular publications to create health awareness. However, recent sources of information show that there exist disparities in health care facilities in the country. These disparities are caused socio-economic factors such as level of education, financial status of a family, cultural practices and beliefs. This paper presents a case of a young girl in the country in order to analyse disparity in health and health promotion practices deployed by the government.
Case Study
This paper analyses a case study of a girl who is currently 18 years old. Her name is Mary. She has indulged in smoking despites the fact that she is two months pregnant. According to health information, the foetus is at risk of health problems that are related with smoking mother. The main reason attributed to Mary’s practice is peer pressure that she has being associating with since she left school three years ago. Moreover, peer pressure has led her to sexual practices that now she has two month pregnancy out of wedlock.
It is unfortunate that Mary left school during her puberty age of 15. Scholars argue leaving school at a lower age has very great social impacts, as the victims are prune to many social evils. She lives in a council flat with her parents in East London; hence, her family’s financial background is not stable. Moreover, she does not have a good income as she currently works 16 hours a week in a supermarket. Although the UK government has promoted health in any capacities, Mary remains ignorant of the government’s effort and indulges in practices that endanger her health as well that of the inborn. However, she should not be solely blamed over the issue as health problems are facilitated by many factors as discussed in this paper.
The Effects of Socio-economic Influences
Although socioeconomic status is closely associated with mortality and morbidity, it still remains unclear for the mechanisms that play a great role in association. In an attempt to comprehend these mechanisms, remedies that are more comprehensive have emerged. However, no policy has ever eliminated disparities that occur in health. For instance, the UK government in an attempt to eliminate health disparities come up with thirty nine recommendations that focused on the elderly, children, minorities and domains such as education, tax benefits and unemployed (Nancy and Katherine, 2012). Although the government has played a significant role in health promotion, health disparity is still evident in the country. Effects of socioeconomic effects on health that are attributed to health influences and mostly to our case study are as discussed below.
Education is a component of social effect that influences health. Education influences health by shaping the future of a person and enabling the person to have better occupation and being a potential earner. The educated person also gains knowledge that allows him to access informational resources that are advantageous to her health (Nancy and Katherine, 2012). If Mary could have access to better education could be less prune to health problems that affected her life. Moreover, studies have shown that spending more time in education reduces chances of early pregnancies and engaging in social ills like smoking and alcohol abuse that contributes to health problems. Policymakers have advocated for more years of schooling to reduce chances of health problems.
Financial status is another crucial component of socioeconomic factors that affects health care. Profound income enables one to access good healthcare facilities that promotes health. Furthermore, with good income a person can afford good diet, better schooling, best housing facilities and recreation facilities. Income has been a determinant in health related problems and mortality rate in many countries. Societal stratification plays a great role in determining health status in a country (Nancy and Katherine, 2012). Health problems affect the lower income earners than those with higher income. In relation to our case, Mary could have come from a poor background, thus could not access quality education, and possibly led to her indulgence in smoking.
Importance of Government Resources on Health Inequalities
Vulnerable groups to health problems are those having poor housing facilities, those with having low income or are unemployed. These make the groups to be venerable to stress that lead to abuse of drugs like alcohol and smoking. The government mainstreams its resources to educate people on heath maters as a strategy to promote health. The main strategy is through government publications like research and reports that facilitate public education on health. Although the main reason for the government to provide these resources to the public is to create awareness, the resources have created inequality in health.
To start with, the resources have created unequal awareness in the community in regard with social workers. Some families have developed a negative attitude toward the social workers that hinders them from seeking their help in health issues. However, families that have an earlier experience with social workers or have acquired information in government reports have realised importance of their support. However, increase in government publications in creating awareness has resulted to increase in health promotion.
Furthermore, the government resources have promoted awareness in the community and families with health issues take their time to discuss them with health professions. Unlike in the past where health issues were little discussed, government publications have enhanced discussing the issues with the professions that reduces health issues. Health publications play a significant role in complimenting information provided by the doctors who provide limited explanation on treatment. Currently, families have also developed positive attitude towards health family centres that provides emotional supports that has been enhanced by publications. Publications on effects of smoking during pregnancy are available and could help Mary out of her problem more easily than the doctors’ descriptions.
Reason Possible Barriers to Mary Accessing Health Care
Socioeconomic status has a significant role in determining health care quality in the public. It is approximated that high school graduates are at risk of health care complications at a rate of forty percent. Mary being in this category is therefore more likely to have health issues more than if she could be holding higher education status. Moreover, families that have low income are at risk of health problems at a rate of sixty percent. According to this analysis, Mary being from a low earning family and being a high school graduate is prune to health problems at a rate of fifty percent. However, the rate could reduce to thirty percent if she could be a college graduate.
Therefore, hindrance to Mary’s heath is attributed by her level of education and the financial status of her family. In contrast, health care insurance are also concurrent with income. For instance, families that have higher income insure their health more than those who have low income hence receive good quality medical care. Poor income earners lack medical insurance cover and hence cannot afford good quality health care. Although the government provides Medicaid to the very poor and Medicare to the elderly, many people who are eligible fails to enrol. Even though the UK government provides universal coverage to the public, only the educated benefits from the health services. Mary being from low earning family and les education could have little information in regard with health services provided by the government.
Links between Government Strategies and Models of Health Promotion
The United Kingdom government currently has mainstreamed its resources to eliminate barriers that hinder public health from getting health facilities. In order to achieve its set target, the government has come up with policies on health care that differs in Wales, England, Northern Ireland and Scotland. Although, the policies differ, they are guided by same principles to ensure that health promotion activities remain the same throughout the UK. According to these principles, health promotion activities should place the well-being of individuals at the centre and the activities (WHO, 2008). Moreover, only a few qualified individuals are allowed to practice health promotion in order to eliminate unskilled personnel from the field.
The government has also constantly provided education to the professions providing health promotion services in order enhance their skills. In addition, the government aids inter-profession research that facilitates health practitioners with adequate knowledge in health promotion. This has enhanced flexibility in the field as the professions can operate easily within the legislative environment.
The government has also enhanced general practice and primary care in health promotion. These practices are designed to provide a basis for public health. General practices have a critical role in the health sector as it plays special role in relating with health promotion. The uniqueness of general practices is traced in its role in its provision of medical care and promotion of health for the advantage of the patients. The general practices have an essential role in providing advice to the pharmacists through phone calls and walking campaigns. This have made the general practices and the NHS to be the constant and among the first sectors for the patients to seek health advice (Wirrmann and Carlson, 2005).
Professionals’ Role in Health Promotion Targets
Health promotion has attracted interest from professions and institutions in order to meet set targets in health. EU countries have heath related institutions that educates the public on health issues and conduct awareness campaigns. These campaign trails are mostly concerned with vaccinations, general public matters, smoking, nutrition, prevention of drugs misuse, and correct use of prescribed drugs. These campaigns are led by health practitioners who have adequate knowledge on health matters. Government bodies also works together with these institutions to provide elaborate information on drugs and mostly that affects the public like driver vigilance. These health institutions are perceived essential in provision of health information and education to the public.
Furthermore, there are agencies that deal with medical products and are funded by pharmaceutical companies (Almasi et al, 2006). These agencies also play a significant role in educating the public on health matter. However, their education is focused on drugs authorisation and conducts after sales surveillance of the prescribed drugs. Information provided by these agencies assist patients in technical information on drugs and report evaluation that provide relevant information to their clients. The prescriptions on drugs are evaluated by professions to ensure that they neither mislead the public nor give inappropriate information. The information provided assists clients in choosing appropriate drugs in regard to correct treatment. The European legislative framework has set laws that require drug agencies to provide adequate information that is relevant to the public concerning pharmaceutical products.
Moreover, other professionals like doctors convey their knowledge daily by practicing healthcare to the public (Almasi et al, 2006). These professions sometimes avoid pharmaceutical prescription and provide information to the patients through printed leaflets or journals. Moreover, they also produce brochures and leaflets that deal with particular health issue. Moreover, health practitioners have come up with information centres that provide information to the public. These centres have significant role in assisting patients in choosing source of information in regard to their health problems. Professions have also extended their services to students by providing training sessions in learning institutions on drugs and diseases. Moreover they also organize and contribute in health campaigns that are designed to provide health awareness.
Role of Routines Promotion of Healthy Living
Information has been attributed with playing a significant role in disease preventions and health promotions. Provision of information has impacted the heath sector both directly and indirectly. Routine promotion of health has led to understanding and improvement in health practices. Moreover, it has led to a long term consequences by improving health awareness and general well-being. Furthermore, routine health promotion has increased confidence in healthcare professionals. These practices have been enhanced by communication that provides essential information to the public.
Routines in health promotion have created controversies in the United Kingdom. The public gets diverse perception on disease information and medicines and information in health. The professions ought to elaborate on health information as basic knowledge in function of human body and how to promote health at different stages. The public need to have a solid background on health in order to be empowered on their health. This will lead to widening self care health services and being more responsible on their health. Constant information has enhanced health education to the public a strategy that has improved the well-being in the public.
Routine health information ought to be improved to meet health care targets. In order to promote health promotion, the public should be provided with adequate information as a strategy to improve access to medical care. Disease preventions such as vaccinations, screening and contraception need to be provided the public in order to improve their treatment through participating in clinical consents that give specific information on health issues. Publications also plays a vital role in promoting health but direct communication to people results to more trustful relationship that is essential in health promotion. Professional assistance is very essential health related problems; patients need to express their problems to the feelings to them in order to gain realistic assistance in regard to their health.
Theories of Health Behaviour and Health Beliefs Translated into Behaviour
Behaviour theories have a significant role in shaping behaviours that determines health issues. These theories determine intensions, attitudes, beliefs and perceptions that are vital in decision making. Major theories that affect decision making are associated with cognitive constructs that their change is more amenable than the personality, social, physiological and cultural factors. These theories and hoe they are translated to behaviours that result to health related issues are discussed below.
One of the cognitive construct is the psychodynamic theory. This theory states that decisions are arrived through psychological forces that conflicts to arrive to a decision. The theory gives three forces that drive a person to an action. Primitive desires are the fastest to propel a person towards an action. However, there are rational forces that prevent these desires until the condition allows. These behaviours may lead to a health problem since the urges may lead a person to use of drugs or make decisions that will affect the person’s health.
Other perspectives that model health behaviours that are in relation to cognitive constructs are the planned behaviour theory, reasoned action and the trans-theoretical model. These theories and models play a crucial role in interpreting health related behaviours through incorporation of simple to complex dimensional perspectives (Armitage and Conner, 2000). Reasoned action theory and trans-theoretical model are more generalised and perceives behaviours in terms beliefs and norms that are applied in general health. These theories has a significant role in determining change in behaviours may lead to indulgence in behaviours that affects health (Ajzen, 2002). For instance, Mary health issue is more attributed to behavioural change, therefore, these theories are relevant in explaining change in her behaviours and indulgence in drug abuse.
Potential Effects of Conflicts with Local Industry on Health Promotion
Local industries have a critical role in health promotion. However, conflict with the local industries may have negative impacts on health promotion. For instance, conflict between private foundations that struggle for tax exemption may lead to increase in health facilities’ prices that affect the public directly. The industries also in an attempt to increase their profit margin may get into relationship with global corporations that operate in larger geographical region. This result to competition minimization that may lead to monopoly of health facilities in marketplace, therefore, being attempted to produce poor quality products. Moreover, the integrations have influenced the global health due to increase in profit based corporations.
Conflict in the local industry can also result to health industry getting into relationship with corporate sectors. This is a major threat to public health since the private and non-profit making organizations are influenced by decisions made by the corporate sectors. These international corporations promote their products that do not meet health standards and since they are in relation with the health sectors they influences health promotion. Unfortunately, corporations getting into relationship with the health sectors are the foodstuff corporate. This has led to a discussion forum form the academic perspective who perceives it as threat to health promotion.
Importance of Providing Relevant Health Related Information to the Public
Competent and routine health practices are very essential in promoting health awareness to the public. Inadequate provision of these services has impacted to public’s health negatively. Due to the current situation in the world, the UK government has initiated elaborate means in creating awareness as a strategy to strengthen the public health promotion. Providing relevant information to the public has furnished the public on public health and mostly on bioterrorism due to the increased terrorist attacks. The government has also created essential capacity to deliver core information on public health. This is a strategy to promote and strengthen public health. The strategy focuses on the bioterrorism as the main focus to educate the public on public matter as a strategy to increase public awareness on health.
Moreover, the information has shed light to the public on importance of promoting their health. For instance, there is increased vaccination and screening for diseases by the public more than it was before health promotion strategies. Illness rate has reduced as a result as prevention of diseases and seeking medical advice is more frequent than it was in the past. The general public is also prepared for terrorist attacks that may threaten the public health.
Providing of relevant information to the public on health issues has reduced unqualified health practitioners from their services. Before health promotion activities, health sector had many practitioners who had only general knowledge on health but were not adequate. The government and health professions have ensured that the sector no longer accommodate inexperienced practitioners by providing relevant information to the public. With well informed public on what is entailed in health promotion, unskilful health agencies face challenge from the public and hence opt to increase their education level or quit the sector.
References
Almasi, E.A. et al., 2006. “What are the public effects of direct-to-consumer drug advertising?” PloS Medicine, 3 (3), p. 145.
Armitage, C. J. and Conner, M., 2001, Efficacy of the theory of planned behaviour: a meta-analytic Review. The British Journal of Social Psychology, 40(4), p. 471-499.
Nancy, E. and Katherine, N., 2012. Socioeconomic Disparities in Health: Pathways and Policies. Health Affairs, 21(2), p. 60-65.
Wirrmann, E. J. and Carlson, C., 2005. Public health leadership in primary care practice in England: everybody’s business? Critical Public Health, 15(3), p. 205–217.
World Health Organization, 2008. Primary Health Care: Now more than ever. The World Health Report 2008. Geneva: WHO.
