Health Promotion Strategies: Addressing Childhood Obesity

This paper explores the impact of socioeconomic factors on health and the challenges of accessing healthcare. It examines the relevance of government sources in reporting health inequalities and the importance of providing relevant health information to the public. The paper also delves into the health beliefs of teenagers regarding food consumption and physical activity, linking them to theories of health behavior. It discusses potential conflicts between health promotion efforts and the fast food industry. Finally, the paper analyzes the links between government strategies and models of health promotion, highlighting the role of professionals in meeting government targets. A health promotion campaign targeting childhood obesity is proposed and its alignment with health promotion strategies is explained.

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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).

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The financial and other restrains doesn’t let people avail the health facilities provided by the government. This way the
reports and case studies conducted are helpful in making the government authorities understand the cause and propose
steps towards enhancing the life people are living according to their basic necessities and the major problems they face.
Thus, creating new policies and funding options, providing basic human rights to the people, equal financial
opportunities and an overall dealing with the unfair health inequity and the inequalities altogether should determine the
direction of actions to be taken so that any such condition if faced in later stages are better dealt with.

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TASK 2
3 Explain the importance of providing relevant health-related information to the public
A study conducted by the King’s College London reported that approximately one in three teenagers were overweight or
clinically obese by the age of 15 (NHS Choices, 2015). Obesity among the general population has found to increase
drastically in past few decades. A dramatic increase in prevalence rates is also found to be present among the teenagers
making it a major issue of concern.
Once known about obesity among the teenagers as a prevailing health issue among the society various steps by the
government are needed to be taken directed towards the problem in providing the health care facilities and devising
specific strategies against it. Only devising of such strategies doesn’t suffice the health promotion goal and the
authorities are needed to reach the population and provide relevant information regarding this prevailing condition, the
underlying causes and ways to improve the condition. Reaching the population is facilitated by the public health
practitioners like Ayesha.
The health practitioners are the ones reaching the population and addressing the people about prevailing conditions and
ways to deal with them. Ayesha being in direct connection with the population as a health practitioner will help in
reaching every individual informing them about the obesity in children, its causes, the major consequences and steps
taken by government and the strategies offered in consideration with the population. A health promotion goal can only
be achieved when people are well aware of the obesity issue and it’s gravity which will help in people accessing more of
the government healthcare plans against the obesity and decreasing further problems arising from it .The Child behavior
being dependent upon multiple factors it needs to be intervened at every level (Linsley, 2011). This can only be achieved
with the help of the health practitioners specializing in childhood obesity as in the given case study is Ayesha.
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

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The beliefs about health and the concerned issues have a direct impact on the health conditions of an individual. To
determine this impact a number of theories have been put forward explaining the behavior and its role in health to
make the understanding about it easier. These theories can be broadly described under:
Interpersonal theories
Intrapersonal theories
Community level theories
To assess the personal beliefs the Intrapersonal theories play a major role. These are the theories that focus upon the
factors present within the individual that influence the health outcomes such as, attitudes, beliefs, level of motivation et
cetera. These include theories like Health Belief Model Theory, Theory of Reasoned Action, Self Efficacy Theory, and
Attribution theory.
The self efficacy theory suggests that if a person believes that he/she can do something only then efforts in its direction
are done. As in case of a child being obese if he thinks that the increasing weight can be controlled by restraining from
few foods and incorporating physical activities as a part of routine than only efforts are seen in modifying the regular
habits. A proper motivation is needed to make an individual believe that achieving such things is not an impossible task
(Hayden, 2017).
The theory of reasoned action emphasizes on individual beliefs and how they contribute towards shaping a behavior by
predicting the behavioral intentions and determining changes in behavior. The attitude of children towards the
awareness of obesity as a problem and a belief that changes in lifestyle and eating habits would result in positive
outcomes how well the problem is understood and determination of individual to go for such a change.
Routines are the set patterns of actions performed by the individual on a daily basis. They play a crucial role in
determining the health of any individual as they may have either a positive or a negative impact on health conditions.
The practices contributing to increased prevalence of obesity among the young individuals are found to be the
unhealthy eating habits and the advanced technical games hindering the outdoor activities of children making them

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stuck on couch with lesser physical activities. Such practices have become a core part of routines of the children and the
detrimental effects are seen as increase in obesity among this age group. It can be concluded that the presence of good
or bad habits in a routine life is directly relevant to the health of an individual and one can achieve the best of it by
adding practices having a positive impact (Anderson, 2012).
5 Discuss the potential conflicts that Ayesha will encounter with the local fast food industry on health promotion
A health care worker encounters a lot of problems in promoting health with the local fast food industry. First and
foremost are the marketing strategies of fast food products for which a huge amount of money by the industries is spent
in marketing such calorie dense and nutrient poor foods, especially targeting the children. This marketing negatively
affects children’s diet, increase child risk for obesity and obesity related illness and they take the advantage of children
getting influenced easily and their vulnerability. The locally based food marketing practices include product packaging,
signs and promotion in stores that appeal to children by associated them with cartoons, sports and celebrities which
makes them more attractive. The high sugar containing cereals are placed at middle or lower shelves in supermarkets
making them easily accessible to children is also a part of the fast food industry marketing strategies. These companies
target the children at school level as well by organizing various competitions and fund raising programs and the winners
are provided with the vouchers which can only be utilized by buying a certain product. Television advertisements also
promote fast foods and high sugar products in different attractive ways. Research has shown TV advertisement increases
the consumption of any available snack after its commercial is aired on television. Researches also show that marketing
can make the children like the advertised food if presented in packages liked by them (Harris, 2010). Such appealing
marketing strategies pose a great problem to the health care practitioners like Ayesha in distracting their attention from
what is harmful to what is good for their health. A health care worker faces a lot of challenges in negating the harmful
marketing strategies of these fast food companies. Creating awareness among the masses is one of the major tasks to be
accomplished in health promotion and preventing children from getting influenced in such traps created by these
companies.

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TASK 3
6 Analyze the links between government strategies and models of health promotion
The health promotion primarily focuses on making the population understand the actual meaning of health by devising
such strategies which cater the needs of making people aware of the current prevailing health conditions which thereby
helps to modify the lives of people and aids in shifting their attention towards a healthy living. The construction and
application of a viable strategy is dependent upon the study based theories and models related to behavioral and social
determinants of health, as such theories aid in an increased knowledge about the targeted population which helps in
construction of the most effective health promotion plan for the same. Such theories include the medical, social and
behavioral aspects of health and a cumulative effect they make on health helps in devising such a strategy which has a
positive impact making it a success (Golden and Earp, 2012).
The strategies and plans proposed by the government are of no use if they are unable to reach the target population
and the same way the theories and models proposed if not incorporated and applied properly in these strategies will
result in undesirable outcomes no matter how effective a strategy may look initially. The application of such models
should be effectively reflected on the strategies to achieve maximum positive result out of them. The government
strategies with a framework that is coherent with the theories applied in relevance to the population becomes a
synergistic combination thus enhancing the effectiveness.
7 Explain the role of professionals have in meeting government targets for health promotion
The strategies of health promotion put forward by the government are needed to be taken to the targeted individuals as
the devising of such strategies alone cannot serve any purpose. In achieving this purpose a workforce comprising of
health care workers and social care professionals work in synchronization with the government. These health

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professionals are the key which keeps the strategies and population adherent as they are the connecting link between
both. Being the only ones addressing the population directly, these health care professionals provide a better
understanding about the prevailing conditions and related habits among the population thus helping in modifying the
interventions according to the specific needs. The required modifications done in the planned strategies are now further
made accessible for the population by these professionals. Such intricate involvement of these professionals’ help in
influencing people at an individual level and helping people make aware of the problems associated with their unhealthy
practices and motivating them to make good and healthy choices which any intervention at a government level is unable
to do.
These skilled personnel help in meeting the requirements of health care facilities to prevent the diseases and cure the
existing ailments promoting health among the people. They help in defining and assessing the region or an area deprived
of facilities and needing recovery which helps in building strategies to reach them thus making sure every population is
provided with the best possible help and care (Watson, 2012). Motivational interviewing and intervention by these
professionals also is of great help in changing the attitudes of people towards healthy living (Niesen, et al., 2018). This
way they also help in shaping the strategies provided so that most of the positive outcomes can be fetched out of them.
Task 4
6 Select and plan a health promotion campaign
The increasing weight is now becoming one of the major causes of a number of diseases. Controlling obesity requires a
lot of aggressive campaigning as a means of health promotion. Reversing this tragic epidemic requires a great deal of
energy and creativity.
Schools are to be targeted to overcome the prevailing problem of childhood obesity. Campaigns and talks can be held
and an interactive session with the children should be done to make sure they are able to understand what the
campaigns focus upon.

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Healthy vending machine can be installed at various places in the schools highlighting the harmful implications of junk
food and importance of physical activities (Tedstone et al., 2015). Arranging of discussions with the parents of the
children in order to make them aware about the unhealthy practices among their kids and their consequences needs to
be done.
Igniting societal change and reversing the trend by making informative videos and showing them publically can be of
great help. Showing the live examples in videos and emphasizing about the harmful effects of unhealthy habits will help
in creating awareness in children. Showing victims who have suffered from diabetes and cardiac disorders due to obesity
will help in generating awareness among the masses. Incorporating a physician’s lecture about the unhealthy lifestyle
choices will also aid in instilling a sense of fear in children. Events, webinar, message trainers and briefings can be
initiated by trained speakers and motivators about childhood obesity. A recognizable face like that of an actor or a
sportsman promoting healthy lifestyle will have a greater impact on the minds of young children.
7 Explain how that health promotion campaign supports health promotion strategies
The health promotion strategies devised by the government are needed to be accessible to the general population. This
can only be achieved with the help of health care workers arranging health promotion campaigns. A strategy is of nil
utility if it is unable to reach the people and this can only be accomplished through the campaigns. These campaigns not
only make people aware of the government health policies and strategies but also help in making them understand the
prevailing issues and the ways to deal with them. Through such campaigns people living in remote and inaccessible
regions can be reached and targeted providing such people with health related facilities and creating health awareness.
A positive outcome can only be achieved when the government strategies reach each and every individual which is done
only with the help such health promotion campaigns (Freiden, 2010).
CONCLUSION
To conclude with, a better understanding about the impact of behavior and beliefs in health related choices is of prime
importance in providing the health care catering the specific needs. Achieving this is accomplished by cumulative efforts

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of government, the health care practitioners and the target population. Obesity in children is of great concern as it has
its direct impact on the growth of a country.

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