HSYP801 Public Health Ethics: Analyzing Obesity Screening in Schools

This assignment provides a comprehensive overview of public health ethics, differentiating it from clinical ethics and emphasizing the importance of evidence-based decision-making. It delves into the ethical considerations surrounding obesity screening programs in schools, weighing the potential benefits of early intervention against the risks of stigmatization and psychological harm to children. Furthermore, the report explores the challenges of implementing public health programs in low and middle-income countries, addressing issues such as financial constraints, cultural beliefs, and the need for community engagement to ensure ethical and effective interventions. The analysis incorporates references to relevant organizations like the CDC and WHO, highlighting the global implications of public health ethics. Desklib offers this paper as a valuable resource for students studying public health.

Running head: PUBLIC HEALTH ETHICS
Public Health Ethics
Name of Student
Name of University
Author Note

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Explain what public health ethics is, how and why it is different from clinical ethics, and
the relationship between ethics and evidence.
Public health ethics is defined as the justifications, foundations and actions that are
considered ethically and morally fair, for the collective benefit of the public (1). The promotion
of health is systematically processed, prioritized and justified with ethical principle, scientific
justifications and evaluation of stakeholders keeping intact the liberty of the people and
overcoming the barriers (2). Clinical ethics is defined as the discipline in the healthcare industry,
which helps healthcare professionals to analyse and resolve ethical conundrums during clinical
practice. It encourages the healthcare professionals to consider the individual perspective of the
patients and promotes reflective practice, which minimizes patient risk. Clinical ethics is more
conformed to the interactions between the healthcare provider and the patient, whereas, the
public health ethics is dealt among the an organization and the community (3). Clinical ethics is
more concentrated on the individual needs whereas the public health is more generalised for the
population. Clinical ethics is more focussed on the sovereignty, non-beneficence, benevolence
and justice for the patient but the public health ethics is more bent towards the inter-alliance,
inter-community trust, congruity as well as justice for the public. It can be said in a way that
clinical ethics is a part of public health ethics. Providing health promotion to reduce the change
of exposure to infectious diseases. Creating surveillance, globally to monitor potential risk
factors and prevention of health threats. The importance of evidence is support the rationale for
the health promoting campaigns. There are two major types of evidence, mainly Normative and
Descriptive evidences. The descriptive evidences rely on statistical, qualititative and quantitative
data to derive a statement, whereas, normative evidences are generalised opinions or accepted
norms about a subject matter. Normative evidence is less preferred than descriptive evidences in

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the promotion of public health because the aggregation of statistical data and evaluation of the
problem is not provided in the former method of evidence. It is important to assess the effect of
consequentialism on the promotion of public health. This concept conforms the public health
policies keeping the good public health outcome intact. Consequentialism is affected by the
overall health and well being of the population and the larger impact it has on the society as a
community. Public health is also important to assess the utilitarianism in the society. This
utilitarianism concept affects the health and promotion of one affects that of the other. In clinical
ethics, this concept is not considered as those policies only regard individual care. Public health
community essentially influences the clinical health as a form of community effect, which
determines the clinical practices and planning in the healthcare industry (4). Public health
programs also structures the policy and safety guidelines in the clinical acre setting and provide
equal rights to healthcare among the general population. The CDC has now developed minority
health improving strategies whose purpose is to utilise public health ethics to minimise the
disparities among the health status, accessibility and benefits among the general population
covering minority communities. In summation, the public health is a epidemiological care
whereas, clinical health is individualistic.
Should obesity screening be introduced in schools as part of an early intervention approach
to reducing obesity in the population? Why or why not?
Obesity is a major problem that is devouring the population slowly. It is estimated by
World Health Organization that 340 million children aged from 5-19 years are obese, as of 2016
(5). Obesity induces a lot of health risk factors and causes chronic diseases that might harm the
affected person. It is important to assess the potency for obesity in children to prevent the those
health risks. Obesity screening is a form of detection method which asses the height, weight,

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body/mass/index (BMI) to evaluate the correct body weight of an individual. These screening
techniques can be commenced at young age, in children that would help prevent obesity and
other associated risk factors. This form of practice will reform the mindset of the children to
adapt a healthier lifestyle from a very young age (6). This will influence the health of the
community in future, prevent susceptibility to diseases, and promote a more constructive,
stronger population. According to the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), it is
supposedly an effective method to reduce the chance of obesity in future (7). The United States
Government has already started incorporating physical health screening programs in school like
diabetes, hypercholesterolemia, hypertension, asthma, head-lice along with obesity. The
programs also included mental health screening like substance abuse in schools to help children
from early on. There is not much evidence that supports the improvement of population health
when obesity screening programs improves population health, as it is a relatively new concern.
But, it has to be kept in mind that this form of practice can have a negative impact on the
innocent minds of the children as they might be depressed or demotivated if they were subjected
to weight related discrimination. This will affect the mental health of the child. The practice of
public health ethics need to be applied in this scenario, where the privacy and discrimination of
the participants need to be protected (6). All the participants will be assessed in isolation to
prevent public shaming. Detection of a potential or proven obsess participant need to be
communicated interpersonally and made sure that the approach is sympathetic, since the majority
of the participants are either children or adolescent. They must be given ample information and
provided a nutrition and activity regimen, so that eating disorders are not adapted (8). The
physical trainers can be advised to practice and incorporate enough time for exercise and
encourage reluctant students to be involved in such activities without enforcing temperaments.

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Parents can also be involved in the screening regimen and educated about the ill effects of
obesity in children to ensure that the treatment is all rounded and followed not just in the school
but also at home. The school authority can be advised to regularly check for the food provided in
the cafeteria is healthy. Communication should be clear to make the children understand the
concepts of having a healthy diet and not just some stigma that comes with obesity. School
counsellors can also help the children prevent body dissatisfaction and eating disorders.
What are some of the challenges of applying public health ethics to implementing public
health programs in low and middle-income countries and/or global health issues?
Public health programs conducted by health organizations like CDC, National Institute of
Health et cetera, against Malaria, malnutrition or other epidemic diseases, provide the
participants to recognise the health related issues identify risks and control their lifestyle to
influence improved health. Public health programs have the ability to influence the thought
processes and the beliefs amongst the community to adapt a healthier choice for their own self
(9). The ethical issues regarding the promotion of public health promotion are generally based on
the efficacy and autonomy. The efficacies of these programs are determined by the financial
expenditure that goes into the programs. The effect of cost of these programs determines the
success rate of these programs (10). The autonomy based concerns in the public health programs
are determined by the extent of the interventional procedures. People may feel over imposed if
the promotion is too much pressing or invasion of privacy as their medical health records and
other information is required in such programs. Public health programs can be sometimes,
conceived as an invasion of privacy or breach of personal space. Proper education, information
and involvement will be required for the public to ensure them that the interventions will
promote better health. The problem with low or middle-income countries is that, lack of formal

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education, financial crisis and other socio-economic determinants of health affect the public
health. Financial problems are also prevalent in these conditions, which makes it difficult to
promote public programs, since the public cannot invest in proper healthcare expenses (11).
There are also religious and ethnic beliefs among the low or middle-income countries. Over the
years, several incidents have taken place where the religious leaders have spoken against health
practices, like in Netherlands, when after the polio epidemics the then Minister of health spoken
against vaccination (12). The dependence of religion might be an ethical barrier among the
organizers as well as the public since they are not open to the change of ideas and thoughts and
economic output of the population is affected. This hinders the overall development of country
as well effects the public health. Another barrier in the promotion of public health programs in
low or middle- income countries is that reluctance of participants due to financial, social or
economic factors and the participants which makes it difficult to convey the information to
improve the public health (13). The stigmas and judgements towards these public health
programs also make it difficult for the organizers to maintain the public health ethically. Public
health forums can also make the participants feel stigmatized, as they feel exposed in the eye of
the public regarding a detected condition. It is important to make sure that the organizers are not
manipulating or promoting false hopes in the public, which will reduce its importance in future.
The ethical issues will have a global scale impact and determine the health outcome of the
community, like in the Australian Government trying to close the gap of healthcare between the
Indigenous and the non-Indigenous groups (14).

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