Hypertension | Health Education Program

Running head: HEALTH PROMOTION
HEALTH PROMOTION
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

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Introduction
Promotion of health covers public policy, which addresses the determinants and
factors responsible for good health condition such as food security, housing, employment,
decent working conditions and quality health services. The conception and policies framing
health promotion empowers individuals in increasing their control over self-health
conditions. Health promotion encircles a vast range of environmental and social interventions
that are aimed at designing benefits and helps in protecting in quality of living and health
state of people. Responding and preventing the causes of the illness or disparities in proper
health living through health education programs facilitate the aim. There are various
approaches in the practice of health promotion including understanding the application of
client-centred, societal changes, behavioural changes, medical transformations and
educational programs. The purpose of the paper is to frame a health education program for
the purpose of reducing and preventing the chosen health issue. The chosen issue is a nation
wide health concern in Australia, Hypertension. The theme of nation based health issue of
Hypertension will be assessed and responded dependent on the principles of developing
health public policy, creation of supportive environment, strengthening communication
action plan, constructing personal skills and reorientation of the health services.
Body
Health promotion is considered as one of significant focus areas of any region or
nation as it projects direct influence over the social well being and economic conditions of a
country. The term health education is utilized interchangeably with the concept of health
promotion as health education effectively promotes health related knowledge and information
to communities and individual (Talbot & Verrinder, 2010). Health education allows the
individual or community to learn about the skills and practices required for better quality of
life. Health promotion determines the combination of the learning experiences that are

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designed for helping health conditions or risks associated with a person or community. The
difference in health promotion lies in its practice of adopting a more comprehensive approach
in promotion of healthy practices by engaging the subject and carrying a multispectral
approach. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), there are three key elements
of promoting health such as, effective governance in health, health literacy and health cities.
In effective governance dedicated for health, the practice of health promotion demands policy
makers from all across the government departments for accomplishing health as the central
line for governmental policy (WHO.int, 2020). This element ensures the consideration of
health effects from all the prioritization and policies they adopt for preventing illness and
injuries. Health literacy depicts the demand of the people in acquiring knowledge,
information and skills, which will guide in making healthy decisions in selecting healthcare
services, food habits and sanitation. Every city in a nation plays a crucial role in the
promotion of good health. Strong commitment and leadership at the level of municipality
allows the necessity of healthy urban planning and aims at building preventive measures
within communities with significant health care amenities. The World Health Organization
(WHO) believes that health cities can emerge health nations and a happier world.
About the Health issue- Hypertension
In hypertension, blood pressure extorts force by the practice of circulating blood flow
against the walls within the arteries, which are considered to be the major blood vessels of
body. Hypertension reflects the high rate of blood pressure in body. Hypertension is
diagnosed when a person’s blood pressure is measured in two different time (preferably
days), with the readings in the systolic tool, blood pressure of the two days are measured,
under 140 mmHg (Heartfoundation.org.au, 2020). Hypertension is considered to be one of
the most common conditions but can eventually lead to health conditions like heart disease.
Blood pressure in most cases does not show symptoms for years but even without the
symptoms, hypertension can damage blood vessels. Uncontrolled blood pressure leads to the

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elevation of high health problems involving stroke and heart attack. In the world, around 1.13
billion individuals has hypertension of which two-third of the people are sustaining in the
low-and-middle-income nations. During the year 2015, every one in four men and every one
in five women reflected hypertension. Hypertension is also considered as one of the major
causes leading to premature death all across the world. Amongst many global targets persists
the aim of reducing the high prevalence of the condition of hypertension by around 25
percent by the year 2025.
In Australia, hypertension is considered one of the most prevalent health issues, which
has been reflected as the reason for unpredicted deaths. On the basis of the data of 2017-
2018, the survey conducted by the Australian Bureau of Statistics National Health depicts
that every one in three person in the age group of 18 and above, which accounts to around 34
percent has high blood pressure. The survey presented a detailed outlook of the prevalence of
hypertension in which 23 percent of people were found under uncontrolled hypertension, 11
percent with controlled blood pressure with the help of medication. In Australia, health
professionals and Australian Bureau of Statistics National Health have not witnessed any
changes for the prevalence of any form of uncontrolled hypertension since the year 2011-
2012 (Abs.gov.au, 2020). Australia has depicted data of men with high risk of uncontrolled
hypertension than women as 25 percent of men depict uncontrolled blood pressure and 20
percent of women depict uncontrolled high blood pressure. Average systolic blood pressure is
considered higher amongst men (around 126 mmHg) and 119 mmHG in women
(Aihw.gov.au, 2020).
Health education program
Healthy Public Policy-