Medical specialists have always called for maintaining and improving health. This process is referred to as health promotion and is a priority in many countries and regions. Its major benefit is obvious: it helps an individual eliminate the risks of diseases and positively influences the overall well-being of the nation. Even though health promotion remains a popular tendency, it still demands further research in terms of its strategies, role, and ways of raising people’s awareness. In this paper, health promotion is studied at the community, national, and global levels.
In America, health promotion is considered a solution to the problems of its healthcare system. For example, the National Prevention Strategy is a governmental plan to improve wellness (Health promotion strategy, 2011). Some of its principles can be applied at the regional level, namely, in Shasta County, California. In particular, it is possible to manage the policy of grocery stores of Shasta County and control the proper marking of unhealthy products that contain genetically modified organisms. Besides, changing the whole lifestyle of the community is essential, as, according to the national strategy, it may help reduce the risk of health deterioration in people of different ages.
In the case of Shasta County, public service advertising about the consequences of smoking, drinking, and substance use may change people’s attitudes towards their daily habits. For example, by promoting a smoking-free society, the local and state authorities can decrease the rates of heart diseases, lung cancer, strokes, and other related issues (Health promotion strategy, 2011). Finally, effective ideas suggested by the government that can be used in Shasta County are promoting outdoor sports, creating smoke-free parks, and educating people about the basic rules of hygiene (Health promotion strategy, 2011). To sum up, Shasta County authorities need to take comprehensive measures to influence the community’s well-being.
Even though the improvements mentioned above appear to be simple, they may have a significant impact on society. At the national level, health promotion allows identifying what problems a particular region or a social group faces and how to prevent them. For example, Japan is considered a country with a developed preventive healthcare system. Its public health centers focus on a range of different problems, including environmental health, mental conditions, sanitation, and other issues. Traditional preventive practices, such as acupuncture and herbal medications, are also widespread in Japan (Lovett-Scott & Prather, 2014). Together, these implementations influence the overall level of the citizens’ health, which would be especially important in the case of America, where preventive practices are not developed enough.
As for the global importance of health promotion, special associations and programs contribute to improving health on the international level. For example, the World Health Organization is the most well-known advocate for preventive healthcare (Lima et al., 2016). By establishing healthcare principles and informing people about the ways to ensure their well-being, it makes health-related knowledge available to everyone. The significance of global health prevention is in helping people achieve a better quality of life and physical and spiritual balance, regardless of their country of residence.
It is also necessary to understand that the government plays a vital role in addressing and implementing health promotion. According to Lovett-Scott and Prather (2014), the first task of the country and local leaders is to determine the flaws of the national healthcare system and the ways to eliminate them. Then, it is important to address the existing problems to communities and healthcare services. Since the government is a power that determines and controls many health-related policies, one of its tasks is to establish rules and regulations aimed at health promotion. For example, according to Mozaffarian et al. (2018), the government is responsible for defining the quality standards of the food and agriculture sector. Some financial interventions may also be effective: increased taxes on unhealthy products, such as junk food and sweetened beverages, would reduce the rate of their consumption. At the same time, the American government is notorious for the uneven distribution of resources. As a result, some regions enjoy better opportunities for maintaining health, while others demand wiser use of fiscal and other resources.
At the same time, the government alone is not able to guarantee the well-being of the nation. Every individual needs to make wise decisions in choosing their lifestyle and maintaining their health. Since health issues and the immune system of every person are different, people themselves should define their health behavior. According to Nutbeam et al. (2018), it is necessary to educate society about the benefits of preventive practices. For example, health literacy allows underlining the importance of maintaining health through educational, organizational, and other interventions (Nutbeam et al., 2018). Indeed, people, who are aware of the advantages of a healthy eating, active lifestyle, and other preventive practices, would be more responsible for their health and would contribute to the well-being of the whole community.
Finally, a question that many healthcare specialists still cannot answer is whether the strategy of health promotion brings significant results. Some people consider it ineffective to spend more financial resources on prevention programs, rather than treatment. However, the research by Lima et al. (2016) confirms that investment in preventive healthcare has already proved its effectiveness. The evaluation of several health promotion programs demonstrated the positive results of most of them. The improvements include the increase in general physical health and physical activity, changes in lifestyle, and the increased frequency of preventative actions (Lima et al., 2016). Therefore, the advantage of health promotion is that it allows reducing various risk factors and even influences the social behavior of people. Moreover, self-conscious people who have enough knowledge about health maintenance practices are more careful in their everyday activities.
At the same time, the most important disadvantage of the preventive healthcare system is that health promotion requires a long-term investment. It is not possible to see the results of preventive healthcare programs immediately. Moreover, health promotion interventions can be rather expensive, and many governments prefer spending their resources to treat diseases that already exist (Lima et al., 2016). Therefore, the main disadvantages of the whole practice are connected with financial issues and the need for comprehensive long-term planning.
In conclusion, it is fair to say that health promotion is a complicated but significant task for local and state governments. Preventive healthcare practices in Shasta County, California, may include raising the awareness of the community about the benefits of a healthy lifestyle and introducing certain regulations and changes concerning people’s everyday choices. However, overall health starts with the habits and decisions of an individual. By promoting accessible health literacy and engaging people of all ages, it is possible to influence health and wellness both inside and outside the country.
References
Health promotion strategy [Video]. (2011). C-Span. Web.
Lima, K.C., Caldas, C.P., Veras, R.P., Correa, R. de F., Bonfada, D., de Souza, D.B., & Jerez-Roig, J. (2016). Health promotion and education. International Journal of Health Services, 47(3), 550–570.
Lovett-Scott, M., & Prather, F. (2014). Global health systems: Comparing strategies for delivering health services. Jones & Bartlett Learning.
Mozaffarian, D., Angell, S.Y., Lang, T., & Rivera, J.A. (2018). Role of government policy in nutrition—barriers to and opportunities for healthier eating. BMJ, 1-11.
Nutbeam, D., Levin-Zamir, D., & Rowlands, G. (2018). Health literacy and health promotion in context. Global Health Promotion, 25(4), 3–5.