Health Promotion: Socioeconomic Influences, Barriers, and Strategies

This assignment explores the impact of socioeconomic factors on health, analyzing the relevance of government reports on health inequalities. It examines barriers to accessing healthcare and delves into government strategies for smoking cessation programs. The role of professionals in meeting government targets for health promotion is discussed, along with the routines smokers can follow to quit. The assignment also examines the relationship between health beliefs and theories of health behavior, and the potential conflicts that can arise between health promotion campaigns and local industries. Finally, it emphasizes the importance of providing relevant health-related information to the public.

Health and Social Care - HEALTH
PROMOTION
1

Table of Contents
Introduction................................................................................................................................3
Task 1.........................................................................................................................................4
1.1Explain the effects of socioeconomic influences on health stated in the above scenario. 4
1.2 Assess the relevance of government sources in reporting on inequalities on health........6
1.3 Discuss reasons for barriers to accessing healthcare........................................................7
Task 2.........................................................................................................................................9
2.1 Analyze the links between government strategies and smoking cessation
programme..............................................................................................................................9
2.2 Explain the role as a professional in meeting government targets for health
promotion in reducing the number of smokers in UK..........................................................11
2.3 Discuss the routines need to be carried out by the smokers in order to quit smoking?
13
Task 3.......................................................................................................................................14
3.1 Explain how health beliefs relate to theories of health behaviour..................................14
3.2 Discuss the possible effects of potential conflicts with local industry on any health
promotion which you selected..............................................................................................16
3.3 Explain the importance of providing relevant health related information on your chosen
topic to the public.................................................................................................................18
Task 4.......................................................................................................................................19
4.2 Explain how your chosen health promotion campaign supports health promotion
strategies...............................................................................................................................19
Conclusion................................................................................................................................20
References................................................................................................................................21
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Introduction
There can be a different type of socio-economic effects on the health are understood in this
assessment. There can be the situation in which inequalities can be seen in the report of
health. Different barriers that used to be in the path of Healthcare are also analysed in this
assignment. Further, there is the discussion about smoking cessation program and its link
with the government. There is the different targets that are set by the government. This target
can be achieved with the Health Promotion accomplishment in a professional way. The
different steps can be accomplished by the particular individual by the particular individual
can leave the habit of smoking and tobacco consumption. The link between the health belief
and health behaviour is also understood in this assessment. Potential conflicts that can occur
because of health campaign are also discussed with their effect. The accomplishment of the
Health Promotion in the statistical way that is supporting Health Promotion is also interested
in this assessment.
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Task 1
1.1Explain the effects of socioeconomic influences on health stated in the above scenario.
Socioeconomic factors are social and economic factors which affect and influence the life
quality, livelihood, lifestyle and attitudes. The effects of socioeconomic influences on health
care due to certain major factors. These factors are employment, education and income. The
relation between these factors and health is explained as under.
1. Employment: -
The employment status of individual effects his living in a major way. An individual is
expected to live a better life if he is employed and on the other hand, lives a completely
demotivated life when he is unemployed. The kind of job a person does also affect his
health. For instance, if a person is working as a labourer, then he is doing the required amount
of physical activities. Whereas, a software engineer must make extra efforts to remain fit.
If an individual is unemployed, he has a higher risk of bad health. Unemployment leads to
symptoms of anxiety and depression. These symptoms are found more commonly in
unemployed instead of employed. Unemployment affects physical and mental health
altogether. It leads to sleep and eating disorders. For overcoming the frustration caused due to
unemployment, people resort to solutions like consuming drugs, smoking cigarettes or
consuming alcohol which in turn worsen the health condition. These smoking and drinking
habits instead have a very bad and long-lasting impact on health.
2. Education: -
It is obvious that the quality and level of education affects the status of an individual as the
jobs that pay high expect an advanced education. The quality of education, therefore, decides
the economic status of an individual. If one is not paid high, it would be difficult for him to
focus on health-related factors. Rather, his sole objective would be just survival. Therefore,
education plays an important role in the quality of life and living standards. This also affects
the health of an individual.
3. Income: -
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Income is one factor that decides what an individual would have to spend. It decides living
standards and the quality of life one is going to live. Income directly defines what a person is
going to spend and how much he can afford. It also automatically decides the neighbourhood
one is going to live with and the people to hang out. They may socialize with people having
low income. People with low income usually cannot afford a lot of luxuries or even high
medical expenses, good food and many more such things. Therefore, at some point, it leads to
bad health and other health-related issues. People having low income also have habits like
smoking, drinking and consuming drugs which impact directly the health of an individual.
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1.2 Assess the relevance of government sources in reporting on inequalities on health.
1. Black Report: -
The Department of Health and Social Security of the United Kingdom in 1980 published a
report called ‘Black Report’. The report presented the unequal distribution of ill-health and
death in detail and suggested that these inequalities have only been increasing. This report
also proved that the reason behind such inequalities is not just the failure of National Health
Service but also socio-economic factors like income, education, neighbourhood, employment
and so on. This report also recommended certain measures to deal with socio-economic
factors influencing inequality. But the then Secretary of state discarded the report.
2. Acheson Report: -
A report was published in the UK in 1998 called ‘Independent Inquiry into Inequalities in
Health Report’. This report is also called ‘Acheson Report’. This report highlighted the health
inequalities and their relationship with the socio-economic factors. In this report, the research
community dealt with the issues raised by Black Report. It proved that there was an urgent
need to tackle and deal with socio-economic factors which impacted health inequalities. It
also included the need of adopting government policies to deal with such inequalities.
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1.3 Discuss reasons for barriers to accessing healthcare.
The key barriers and the reason for their existence for accessing health care services are as
follows: -
1. Physical Barriers: -
These are the barriers which relate to the physical capabilities of an individual. These barriers
can be like a person on a wheelchair cannot enter the hospital building because of the
building is not handicapped friendly. Like the doorway may be too narrow or there is no lift.
2. Financial Barriers: -
These are the barriers which are related to the income of an individual or family. The
individual might not have enough money to cover the cost of medical expenses. If any free
service is provided by the government, then he may not have the money to cover the
expenses incurred in reaching there.
3. Cultural and language Barriers: -
If the information relating to the healthcare services is disseminated in any language, say in
English, and the individual is not capable to read and write English, then in such a case, it
would be a language barrier for him and he might not be able to avail the services of
healthcare.
4. Psychological Barriers: -
These barriers relate to an individual’s behaviour. The individual in need of healthcare, if
afraid to visit a doctor or is scared to go for a treatment, then it would be a barrier for him.
This also includes a situation where an individual is unwell and is not visiting a doctor only
because he is afraid to find about any serious sickness.
5. Geographical Barriers: -
Geographical barriers are location related barriers. In situations like where an individual
living near the hospital or healthcare services has easy access to the services whereas one
who is living far from the services will not be able t avail the services easily or conveniently.
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Task 2
2.1 Analyze the links between government strategies and smoking cessation programme.
Smoking cessation means the process of helping people in quitting smoking. Tobacco
contains a content called nicotine which is very addictive in nature. Therefore, the process of
cessation of smoking is in a way very difficult. The different strategies used for cessation of
smoking are counselling, anti-smoking programmes, nicotine replacement theory etc.
The strategies used by the government for the implementation of smoking cessation are as
follows: -
1. Medications: -
Medication is the most common strategy used by government or other authorities working for
achieving the objective of cessation of smoking. As per the study, smokers who take
medications for the cessation of smoking can resist smoking for a period of more than six
months. These medications include nicotine gum, nicotine patches, nicotine lozenges,
nicotine spray and inhalers.
2. Cutting levels of nicotine: -
When one decreases the consumption of nicotine every day then gradually he may be able to
quit smoking.
3. Self-help: -
Self-help strategy means helping self for quitting smoking and not taking help from any other
person or authority. Self-help is another strategy used to quit smoking. This strategy does not
have a very high rate of success. The effect of self-help strategy is weak and does not last for
long. The most common way used for achieving this strategy is by reading articles, books or
pamphlets that tell various methods to quit smoking.
4. Telephone support: -
There are a lot of government organizations which assist smokers on the telephone to quit
smoking. The specialist on telephone helps the smoker in quitting smoking by suggesting
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them methods which fits them. As per a study, smokers who resort to this method reduces
smoking twice to those who do not resort to any method.
5. Counselling: -
There are certain counselling programs initiated by the government in which the counsellor
meets the smoker in person and helps them to quit smoking. These counsellors suggest the
methods through which one can quit smoking. And further, they keep a close watch on the
fact that whether those methods are being followed are not.
6. Group behaviour therapy: -
Group behaviour therapy is a therapy in which there are other members of the group dealing
with similar kind of problem i.e. they are addictive of smoking. In such a group, all the
members of the group share their problems and discuss the measures taken by them to
overcome the addiction. It helps the smoker in building the confidence and deal with anti-
smoking measures rather easily.
Therefore, these are the strategies and measures used by the government and other
organizations for combatting issues like smoking. The government takes initiatives in starting
such smoking cessation programmes and uses these strategies to deal with smokers.
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2.2 Explain the role of a professional in meeting government targets for health promotion
in reducing the number of smokers in the UK.
As a professional, a smoking campaign can be initiated to help and assist the government in
reducing the number of smokers in the UK. The campaign can be initiated in the name of
“Anyone can smoke, but can you stop?”
The roles a professional can play to assist the government in the success of this campaign are
as follows: -
1. Smoking Cessation advice: -
As a professional, advice to stop smoking shall be given on person to person basis. Advice
works the best when given personally in person or over the telephone. It includes making
available information about the various treatments available for the cessation of smoking.
This also includes planning for the smokers and monitoring their care and results.
2. Substance misuse: -
This includes providing information to the people addictive of smoking and their families
about xthe effects of such drugs and smoking habits. This also includes counselling and
motivational sessions of affected people. This work needs the professional to be a strong
communicator and build strong relationships with the smokers and their families so that they
can trust them easily.
3. Covering all the areas: -
Assisting government in such a campaign will require reaching to the maximum people by
visiting different areas and educating people about the bad impact of smoking on people,
their families and lifestyle.
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2.3 Discuss the routines need to be carried out by the smokers in order to quit smoking?
The routine which needs to be followed to quit smoking are as follows: -
1. Plan: -
The foremost thing required to quit smoking is to make a quit plan. This plan helps a lot in
staying focused on the goal of quitting. It helps in being confident and motivated.
2. Staying Busy: -
Staying busy is another routine habit which must be followed especially at the time when
there is an urge to smoke. It can help in keeping the mind off from the cravings to smoke. For
staying busy, certain physical activities such as exercising, cycling, walking and other
activities such as watching a movie, chewing a gum can be done.
3. Dealing with smoking triggers: -
Avoiding the factors which trigger the craving for smoking is a way to quit smoking. These
could be throwing all the cigarettes and other rolling stuff away, visiting places where
smoking is prohibited, spending maximum time with people who don’t smoke and many
other ways.
4. Help from others: -
Asking others for help affects the willpower in a positive manner. Talking to family and
friends about the quitting objective helps in a great way.
5. Staying positive: -
The process of quitting smoking needs a lot of effort. It requires one to stay positive. The
process might not be working as planned but remaining positive is the key.
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Task 3
3.1 Explain how health beliefs relate to theories of health behaviour.
Health belief can be translated and related to the health behaviour of the particular individual.
There can be the situation in which this can be a tool for the motivating the particular
individual. This will help the particular individual to adopt healthy habits. This will also help
in motivating the particular individual to left unhealthy behaviours. it can be understood with
the help of different beliefs that are relating to behaviour in the context of health as follows
Perceived severity theory
According to different people, there are different types of views that can be possible. Coming
onto the health issues and benefit there are different beliefs of the different individual. One
can understand the series causes of consumption of tobacco and smoke a cigarette. There can
be in the different individual that is present that will say that no such serious cause take place
to the health of the particular individual (Munn-Giddings & Winter, 2013). This decides the
behaviour of consuming tobacco and smoking cigarette by the particular individual. There
can be the situation in which unawareness of the serious cause of tobacco and cigarette can be
there among the particular individual. There can be the situation in which severe cause of
cigarette and tobacco is unknown to the individuals.
Perceived susceptibility concept
If it is concerned about the health then that particular individual knows the serious conditions
and the consequences that can happen on the consumption of cigarette and tobacco. if the
belief of the particular individual regarding smoking and consumption of tobacco that it can
cause serious health issues then that particular individual will never consume cigarette and
tobacco. There can be the situation in which the particular individual believes that no such
serious issues created because of consuming tobacco and smoking then that particular
individual will consume cigarette and tobacco. There will also be a situation in which the
particular individual think that secondary is smoking is more injurious to health as compared
to director smoking. This is the belief of the particular individual that results in smoking by
that particular individual.
Social cognitive theory
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There can be the situation in which the particular individual is having the social contacts that
used to smoke and consume tobacco. In this situation also the particular person is having the
behaviour of smoking and consuming tobacco (Brett, et. al., 2014). This theory tells that
observation by the particular individual is accomplished. The particular individual decides to
smoke or not. The particular individual used to observe people smoking from social contact.
There can be the situation in which the particular individual learns to smoke and consume
tobacco from the media in which the particular popular person is portrayed as smoking or
consuming tobacco. This is a social situation that provokes the particular individual to smoke
and consume tobacco.
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3.2 Discuss the possible effects of potential conflicts with local industry on any health
promotion which you selected.
Health Promotion campaign “Anyone can smoke, but can you stop?” is promoted effectively
ok but there can be the different type of issues that can take place with the local industry
because of the Campaign that is promoted against smoking and tobacco consumption.
This can be a situation in which discarding of the campaign can be possible by the local
population in which the campaign against smoking and tobacco consumption is being
accomplished hey. There can be a situation in which the local industries that are
manufacturing cigarettes and tobacco product oppose the Campaign that is being
accomplished against cigarette smoking and Tobago consuming.
This will affect greatly as there will be the situation in which the necessary steps that are very
useful in the promotion of making aware people about hazards of cigarette and tobacco
cannot be taken in an efficient manner.
If the conflict arises between the promotional campaign and the local industry then the local
industry participants will promote the product of cigarette and tobacco in that way that can
provoke the local public to consume such products (Timmins, 2012). This will definitely
affect the health of the particular individual that will consume such products.
This will also affect the motivation of the school student. These main volunteers of this type
of Campaign will be the school student. Therefore there can be the situation in which a total
negative effect can be the result. In this situation, the particular group of the student may
consume tobacco and cigarette. This will impact on the health of the school student
negatively.
There can be a rise in the prices by the government on such type of product that is sold by
local Industries. This results in conflict between Government and local Industries. The local
Industries remain their profit save. It is the local people that have to suffer (Makai, et. al.,
2014). The people that are already consuming this type of products will consume product
even after there is a rise in the prices. This will affect the budget of the particular individual
and family.
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Sometimes government used to provide funds to the campaigns that are being accomplished
against cigarette smoking and tobacco consumption. This practice is also opposed by the
local Industries. The manufacturers of cigarette and tobacco products claim that this affects
the sale of the product. This results in less motivation creation among the volunteers that are
involved in the campaign against cigarette smoking and tobacco consumption.
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3.3 Explain the importance of providing relevant health-related information on your chosen
topic to the public.
The implication of providing relevant health-related information is seen in the importance to
the society in which health-related information is being provided. This can be understood as:
-
The health hazards that can be possible because of the consumption of cigarette and tobacco
products can be made known to the people in whom the health-related information is being
provided. This will make aware people about the health hazards that can be possible to them
while consuming cigarette and tobacco products. By making them aware there will be the
situation in which people will not consume cigarette and tobacco products. This will impact
positively on the people behaviour of health (Steventon, et. al., 2013).
If the particular individual is consuming cigarette and tobacco products from many years then
that particular individual can leave this unhealthy habit after knowing the serious threats and
cause that can occur on the health because of tobacco consumption and cigarette smoking.
A better life for the people can be provided by making them aware of the serious results that
can be possible because of cigarette smoking and tobacco consumption.
They can be the direct interaction between the people that smoke a cigarette and consume
tobacco and the people that are accomplishing the campaign against cigarette smoking and
tobacco consumption. This will be very helpful for the individuals that used to smoke a
cigarette and consume tobacco. People will directly understand bad effects of cigarette and
tobacco (Jamal, et. al., 2014).
Awareness of the rehabilitation centres can be given to the individuals that are chain-
smokers. In such rehabilitation centres, the recovery of the particular individual can be
accomplished. The Unhealthy habit smoking a cigarette will be left by the particular
individual from these the rehabilitation centres.
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Task 4
4.2 Explain how your chosen health promotion campaign supports health promotion
strategies.
Health Promotion campaign “Anyone can smoke, but can you stop?” very successful if
implemented in an effective manner. This campaign supported the strategies that help in the
efficient accomplishment of this campaign. this can be understood as: -
Healthy habits in the particular individual can be accomplished with the help of awareness.
The awareness can be promoted with the help of this campaign. The awareness about the
hazards is occurring to the health because of cigarette smoking and tobacco consumption. If
the particular individual will know about the hazard then only that individual will leave the
unhealthy habit of cigarette smoking and tobacco consuming (Steventon, et. al., 2013).
This health Campaign also supported the awareness among the adolescence student. In the
adolescence, the unhealthy habits of cigarette smoking and consuming tobacco is
accomplished in an easy manner. Making this age group aware from the starting will help a
lot in accomplishing good healthy habits in this age group.
It is the health support strategy that prevention is better than cure. This campaign is fulfilling
this strategy also. This campaign is the awareness programme for the society. This campaign
is about not to consume tobacco products and cigarette smoking. This campaign is not only
providing the information about rehabilitation Centre (Brett, et. al., 2014). This campaign is
providing a preventive awareness among the society. Therefore, it is supporting the strategy
for Health Promotion.
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Conclusion
It can be concluded from a report that the impact of socio-economic influencers can be seen
for the health of the particular individual. It is also seen that there is the inequality in the
health reporting that is assessed by the government. There can be a different type of variable
that can be seen in the accomplishment of good health care for the particular individual.
Smoking cessation program is helping in accomplishing the good Health Promotion for the
individual in the society. The professional manner of Health Promotion can be accomplished
that will impact positively on the Health Promotion campaign. The health belief of the
particular individual directly has implications for health behaviour of the particular
individual. The overall Health Promotion is supporting the health strategies.
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