Health Promotion Strategies: Addressing Childhood Obesity

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Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION..................................................................................................................................................................... 2
TASK 1...................................................................................................................................................................................3
1 Explain the effects of socioeconomic influences on health and discuss the reasons for barriers to accessing
healthcare.........................................................................................................................................................................3
2 Assess the relevance of government sources in reporting on inequalities in health......................................................4
TASK 2...................................................................................................................................................................................6
3 Explain the importance of providing relevant health-related information to the public................................................6
4 Explain how the health beliefs of teenagers governing their food consumption and physical activity relate to theories
of health behavior and discuss the role of routine............................................................................................................6
5 Discuss the potential conflicts that Ayesha will encounter with the local fast food industry on health promotion.......8
TASK 3...................................................................................................................................................................................9
6 Analyze the links between government strategies and models of health promotion....................................................9
7 Explain the role of professionals have in meeting government targets for health promotion.......................................9
Task 4.................................................................................................................................................................................. 10
6 Select and plan a health promotion campaign.............................................................................................................10
7 Explain how that health promotion campaign supports health promotion strategies.................................................11
CONCLUSION....................................................................................................................................................................... 12
REFERENCES........................................................................................................................................................................ 14

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INTRODUCTION
Health by World Health Organization is defined as “a state of complete physical, mental and social well being, not
merely absence of disease or infirmity”. Factors influencing health as a whole are known social determinants of health,
which play a major role in shaping the conditions of life on a daily basis (Larkin, 2011). In this unit these factors and their
impact upon health and in shaping governmental strategies of health promotion will be discussed. The major prevailing
issues will be looked upon and will be related to the theories of health belief to gain a better understanding and plan
effective health promotion strategies.

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TASK 1
1 Explain the effects of socioeconomic influences on health and discuss the reasons for barriers to accessing
healthcare
The socioeconomic status of any individual has a direct impact on the health. It is composed of various components like,
the level of education, type of occupation, earnings or the income and the wealth ( Pampel et al., 2010). All these
components have their individual impact on the health and health preferences of any person.
Education: the literacy level among the people shapes their behavior towards health (Ekcman, 2012). People with a low
socioeconomic status have a limited access to education and health literacy programs. The lack of knowledge about the
healthy living and risks associated with the unhealthy options available makes them at potential risk of developing and
adopting unhealthy choices.
Occupation: poor level of education diminishes the spectrum of occupations to choose from, either people are rendered
unemployed or they end up getting jobs at places which offer no opportunities for health related learning. Such people
due to the financial burden are forced to work at such firms and surroundings which pose a threat to health conditions
making them prone to occupational hazards and diseases.
Income and wealth: it is considered as the most influential factor on health and health related choices. The low socio
economic status strata also have a limited access to health facilities and health related aids and programs. An inability to
pay for all such services makes these people vulnerable to many chronic diseases due to avoidance at initial stages.
The social determinants of health are considered as the main issues in health related inequalities and disparities. The
major barriers in accessing the health care are low socioeconomic status, health inequity and lack of health related
literacy.
The socioeconomic status of an individual follows an inverse relationship with the risk of poor health, the lower the
socioeconomic status the more are the risks of developing diseases. An individual belonging to such a status struggles to
survive with bare minimum facilities, so spending such an amount which can hardly fulfill the basic of the necessities in

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accessing the healthcare becomes least of the priority. These people are left to live at the places far away from the
general population which further makes it difficult for them to easily access the health facilities.
Health inequity has become the most prevailing health related issue. This has led to differences among the individuals
and an unfair healthcare distribution. These people living in deprived areas of the country are socially and culturally
excluded from the society which not only affects their access towards healthcare but also is harmful mentally. Such
inequities have emerged out as chronic stressors among them leading to an increase in stress related disorders and
adoption of unhealthy practices (Pampel et al., 2010).
Health education is an integral part of promoting health in a population. An inability on the part of government in
reaching the deprived people results in lack of basic health related knowledge among them. This results in poor
understanding of the diseases and their severity and an inability in understanding how grave a health condition can
become. The limited health literacy leads to lack of prioritizing health related issues and a decreased approach towards
accessing the healthcare facilities.
2 Assess the relevance of government sources in reporting on inequalities in health
The general improvements in health are found to benefit all the social groups unequally. The prevailing inequalities in
health and accessing the healthcare is brought into notice through a number of government sources like surveys and
reports conducted on a periodic basis. Such reports and data obtained from the surveillances aid in enforcement of new
government policies by better understanding of the problems and pointing ways to sustain the progresses, if any
(Marmot et al., 2003). The data obtained periodically also helps in assessing the shortcomings of such policies and
rectifying them which in turn helps in reducing health inequalities. The two major reports published which are the Black
report, 1980 and the Acheson report, 1998 demonstrated a strong connection between the health inequalities and the
economic status of an individual. The results from such reports give the government authorities an idea about the
prevailing reasons behind the health inequalities and type of measures required to be taken in dealing with such
shortcomings (Michael, 2005).