Health Promotion

Health promotion is the process of enabling people to increase control over, and
to improve, their health. It moves beyond a focus on individual behavior towards a
wide range of social and environmental interventions.
The Health Promotion Strategic Framework
The Health Promotion Strategic Framework (HPSF) is the first national
strategic framework for health promotion in the HSE. ... With appropriate
investment, the long-term outcomes of these approaches have been demonstrated
internationally to improve health and reduce inequalities, disease and costs on the
health system.

This framework acknowledges the key role that health and social care services
have in promoting the health of the population across these key settings, while
recognizing the greater significance of the social determinants of health and the
unequal health status experienced by different population groups.

The framework outlines a model of health promotion that addresses the broad
determinants of health and health inequalities, through health services, community
and education settings. It describes the approaches that are to be applied in each
setting and sets out priority objectives and actions for national processes to support
the implementation of the framework and for each of the three priority settings
identified. With appropriate investment, the long-term outcomes of these
approaches have been demonstrated internationally to improve health and reduce
inequalities, disease and costs on the health system.

The determinants of health

The range of personal, social, economic, and environmental factors that

influence health status are known as determinants of health. Determinants of
health fall under several broad categories: Policymaking. Social factors.

Introduction

Many factors combine together to affect the health of individuals and communities.
Whether people are healthy or not, is determined by their circumstances and
environment. To a large extent, factors such as where we live, the state of our
environment, genetics, our income and education level, and our relationships with
friends and family all have considerable impacts on health, whereas the more
commonly considered factors such as access and use of health care services often
have less of an impact.

The determinants of health include:

 the social and economic environment,

 the physical environment, and
 the person’s individual characteristics and behaviors.

The context of people’s lives determine their health, and so blaming individuals for
having poor health or crediting them for good health is inappropriate. Individuals
are unlikely to be able to directly control many of the determinants of health. These
determinants—or things that make people healthy or not—include the above
factors, and many others:

 Income and social status - higher income and social status are linked to
better health. The greater the gap between the richest and poorest people, the
greater the differences in health.
 Education – low education levels are linked with poor health, more stress
and lower self-confidence.
 Physical environment – safe water and clean air, healthy workplaces, safe
houses, communities and roads all contribute to good health. Employment
and working conditions – people in employment are healthier, particularly
those who have more control over their working conditions
 Social support networks – greater support from families, friends and
communities is linked to better health. Culture - customs and traditions, and
the beliefs of the family and community all affect health.
 Genetics - inheritance plays a part in determining lifespan, healthiness and
the likelihood of developing certain illnesses. Personal behaviour and coping
skills – balanced eating, keeping active, smoking, drinking, and how we deal
with life’s stresses and challenges all affect health.
 Health services - access and use of services that prevent and treat disease
influences health
 Gender - Men and women suffer from different types of diseases at
different ages

BEHAVIOR CHANGE COMMUNICATION (BCC)

Behavior change communication (BCC) is an interactive process of any

intervention with individuals, communities and/or societies (as integrated with an
overall program) to develop communication strategies to promote positive
behaviors which are appropriate to their settings. This in turn provides a supportive
environment which will enable people to initiate, sustain and maintain positive and
desirable behavior outcomes.

BCC is the strategic use of communication to promote positive health outcomes,

based on proven theories and models of behavior change. BCC employs a
systematic process beginning with formative research and behavior analysis,
followed by communication planning, implementation, and monitoring and
evaluation. Audiences are carefully segmented, messages and materials are pre-
tested, and both mass media and interpersonal channels are used to achieve defined
behavioral objectives.

BCC should not be confused with behavior modification, a term with specific
meaning in a clinical psychiatry setting.

Behavior modification refers to the techniques used to try and decrease or

increase a particular type of behavior or reaction. This might sound very technical,
but it's used very frequently by all of us. Parents use this to teach their children
right from wrong. Therapists use it to promote healthy behaviors in their patients.
Animal trainers use it to develop obedience between a pet and its owner. We even
use it in our relationships with friends and significant others. Our responses to
them teach them what we like and what we don't

BCC has several levels at which it can be implemented. Each level includes several
theories. Each level (and each theory) employs specific communication channels.

Individual Level

 Health belief theory

 Theory of Reasoned Action and planned behavior
 Stages of change
 Social Learning

Community Level

 Diffusion of innovations theory

 Community mobilization

Change in organizations

 4 stage change
Public Policy Level

 Distinct stages of initiation, action, implementation, evaluation and re-

formulation.