Public Health Assessment: Intervention Strategies for UK Health Issues

This report examines public health intervention strategies employed in the UK to address various health issues. It begins by defining public health interventions and their role in improving living standards, focusing on childhood obesity, alcohol and substance misuse, poverty, and crime. The main body of the report delves into different intervention types, including acceptance-based behavioral interventions, pharmacological interventions, and community-based approaches. It also explores primary, secondary, and tertiary intervention methods. The report highlights specific campaigns like Change4life and the Sugar Tax, analyzing their impact on local and national health. The report also discusses the role of organizations like UNICEF and Macmillan Cancer Support. Furthermore, the report identifies challenges to effective public health interventions, such as funding limitations, lack of awareness, and insufficient political commitment. The report concludes with a discussion on the effectiveness of health promotion strategies and the role of statutory bodies in developing health protection strategies.

PUBLIC HEALTH ISSUE
(ASSESSMENT 2)

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION ..........................................................................................................................1
MAIN BODY ..................................................................................................................................1
P3-Different type of intervention helps to address the public health issues...........................1
P4-Approach of intervention to improve local and national health.......................................3
M2-Challenges to enabling effective public health interventions..........................................5
P5-Ways used to reduce the disease in local community.......................................................6
P6-Role of statutory bodies in the development of health protection strategies....................7
M3- Effectiveness of health promotion strategies to prevent disease....................................8
D2- Effectiveness of different type of health promotion activities based on nationwide health
promotion strategies...............................................................................................................8
CONCLUSION ...............................................................................................................................8
REFERENCES .............................................................................................................................10

INTRODUCTION
The public health intervention is defined as policy based on improving the living standards
of individuals. The intervention is generally analysed in order to prevent the complexities which
are associated with childhood obesity, alcohol, substance misuse, poverty, crime and so on. In
this report, discussion is well related with the implementation of the programs and policies that
are designed provide the rationale that controls the situation focusing on the interventional
approach. In addition, the highlight of this discussion is based on reducing the complications
well related with the context of policy making and creating awareness to protect the public
health.
MAIN BODY
P3-Different type of intervention helps to address the public health issues
There are various types of intervention techniques that are used to address public health
issues which are analysed within this report i.e., childhood obesity, poverty, crime, alcohol and
substance misuse. The general population follows the context of the government that manages
the intervention techniques. There are various interventional approaches that are conducted that
promoted healthy behaviour among the population in the UK. In addition, there are five core
component of intervention techniques which are implemented for reducing childhood obesity:
 Acceptance based behavioural intervention aids to weight loss among adults with obesity.
 Standing desk in schools linked with decrease in BMI percent.
 Pharmacological intervention including metformin that causes BMI gain among
adolescents in terms of obesity and insulin resistance.
For childhood obesity, intervention techniques by people is mostly non pharmacological
which covers the management by use of medication. Childhood obesity is usually associated
with lifestyle changes that include strategies to minimise calorie intake, promote physical
activity, reduce sedentary activities, facilitate the involvement of family and behaviour that
shows their involvement in eating and physical activity. In addition, other public health issues
such as substance and alcohol misuse are also prevented with the use of appropriate intervention
and strategies which include information dissemination useful for people in need. Preventive
education is necessary to provide proper context reliable enough to generate knowledge among
people involved in drug and substance abuse. In the UK, about 7.5 million of the people show
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sign and symptoms well related with alcohol dependence. According to NHS people suffering
from alcohol abuse need to well involved in public health intervention strategies. There are other
intervention techniques which are community based as well as environmental based. By avoiding
peer pressures; by examining the risk factors related to alcohol and substance use one can reduce
the risk of disease. By seeking help for mental health illness and keeping a well balanced life one
can help aid themselves in preventing and reducing the risk of health issues (Mihinjac and
Saville, 2019). Also by avoiding the places where one knows that the drugs and alcohol will be
available, one can stop and reduce the risk of alcohol and drug abuse. By distracting oneself with
the activities like exercise or listening to music and learning to cope with the stress and relaxing
without drugs can help reduce the health related issues. By surrounding oneself with friends and
family members who don't do drugs will reduce the risk of abuse of drugs and it will help to
trigger down the feeling of usage by distraction. So ultimately a strong and positive family bonds
and involvement of parents help reduce down the risk of misconduct of alcohol and substance
use.
Primary intervention is mostly focused on prevention of disease before it develops that
involves following measures that can help in preventive care. These intervention methods
include organisation of campaigns and other activities that help in raising awareness about the
measures that are to be considered while protecting oneself from a particular disease. Secondary
intervention is an effective attempt to successfully diagnose a disease in its early stage and is
followed by starting the treatment for the same. Tertiary intervention methods are close
examinations of already developed disease in a patient and employing measures to reduce further
complications. The main aim of tertiary interventions is based on softening the impact of the
illness which is persistent for a long time. The goal is help people with long term complex health
issues that severely impact the quality of their lives along with life expectancy. For example,
sharing strategic measures from support groups for better standards of living. Tertiary
intervention focuses more on minimizing the suffering of the patient by adding years to their life.
In other words, the tertiary care includes task of therapy and rehabilitation. Some methods for
tertiary intervention includes screening of the patients for various diseases such as diabetic
retinopathy and HIV patients to be able to take part in social activities. Tertiary intervention also
includes management of chronic illnesses such as cardiac or stroke rehabilitation. For example,
occupational therapy for treatment of hypertension is a form of tertiary hypertension through the
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disability and impairment can be reversed. These preventive methods also include avoiding the
spread of disease furthermore. Tertiary intervention which help to make the attempt which help
to minimise negative effect, prevent disease complication or disorder that is related with
complication and prevent the relapse and restore the highest physical as well as psychological
function which is possible.
P4-Approach of intervention to improve local and national health
UNICEF is an international organisation with a goal of intervening all health issues. This
firm uses technologies and information to achieve health goals and objectives. UNICEF aids in
strengthening health systems and enhance their reach in providing quality care to public all over
the world (Guardone and et. al., 2018). Health, Exercise, Nutrition, for the Really Young
(HENRY), Leeds is an evidence based intervention which promotes prevention of child obesity.
“HENRY” supports families, communities and local authorities to make amends in their lives
through positive lifestyle alterations that would foster positivity. It is estimated that by 2030, half
of childhood obesity will significantly reduce in health issues.
In addition, the local campaign which is chosen for report is Change4life that is
supportive intervention for the report. The justification is also carries the international
intervention which is based on cervical screening. There were numerous campaigns introduced to
reduce the intensity of public health issues in the United Kingdom. Some of them are listed
below:
 Change4life campaign was launched in 2009 and the main aim of this campaign was to
help families live better and healthy lives by helping them reduce the consumption of
excessive salt, sugar and fatty foods (Gardner and et. al., 2018). The goal of this
campaign was also to promote exercising and raise awareness about the benefits of
regular exercising. State campaigns in UK aided in intervention to many health related
issues that will foster the nation to overcome issues such as poverty, childhood obesity,
substance and alcohol abuse etc. The change4life campaign has changed the lives of
about 413,466 families. The introduction of healthier products into the market increased
by 20% and those of healthier products increased by 9%. On an average, 85% of nursing
mothers made them think about the health of their children (Staley and et. al., 2021). This
campaign bough about a variety of low-sugar drinks, low-fat milk, fruits and vegetables
on the table leading to decreased onset of obesity. This campaign is not referred to as the
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Better Health Campaign (Ellis and Evans, 2022). The main role of this campaign is to
empower families to take control of their diet and make it healthier by choosing healthier
food and drink choices. Almost 97% of mothers all around the United Kingdom are
leading a healthy life by making alternations in their diet and regular physical activity.
This campaign has helped low income families by imparting motivation and support
families to make small improvements in their activity levels and diets (Ardill, 2022).
 Local campaigns that are involved in the public health assessment are The Sugar tax
campaign was introduced in the UK in order to prevent obesity and consumption of
sugary foods. This campaign was the reason that taxation on sugary drinks was
implemented which lead to a hike in the price of these drinks by 20%. The sugar tax
campaign was a part of a wider strategy that led to a reduced number of cases of type II
diabetes and obesity (Stanner and Spiro, 2020). The effect of this campaign was widely
observed all over the United Kingdom. The consumption of sugary drinks decreased by
86% per household in a week's time span. In total, the amount of sugar consumption fell
by 12.5g with an average of 85% decrease(Asada and et. al., 2022). The sugar tax
campaign was a very successful campaign which was very successful for local person's
perspective. This campaign helped in reducing the intake of sugar in the form of soft
drinks for residents of the United Kingdom. There was a reduction of 6500 calories in the
daily consumption of sugary drinks (Marriott III and Dillard, 2021). The global health
burden of obesity was reduced due to the implementation of sugar tax campaign. There
was a tax introduced to the packaging and importation of soft drinks containing high
levels of sugar.
 Macmillan cancer is one of the largest organisational support in the United Kingdom.
Macmillan cancer support helps individuals all around the UK to raise money for the
treatment of their cancer and providing them appropriate treatment through support. The
main aim of the campaign is to focus on the social, emotional and practical impact of
cancer on individuals (Bainbridge, 2020). This charity organisation was founded in 1911
and abides by the principles of being a “source of support” for people suffering from
cancer all across United Kingdom. The organisation saved lives of 5.2 million people on
an average or those who were affected by cancer. It is evident that every two minutes an
individual is diagnosed with cancer. Macmillan is famous worldwide as it has become
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one of the largest cancer care and support charity in the United Kingdom. This
organisation specializes in providing financial and medical support to the under
privileged (Limb, 2022).
Challenges to effective public health intervention techniques include lack of clear
delineation of responsibilities between different levels of government. The lack of awareness
among people also acts as a challenge towards determinants of health. In addition to that, lack of
funds and human workforce are obstacles faced to intervention of public health issues.
Incompetency to development of plans hampers the process of health promotion (Amuka and et.
al., 2020). Designing a methodology for crisis response and providing shelter to everyone can
reduce the issue of homelessness. Strategic intervention techniques include providing raise to
those with large families and giving them a raise. Complete eradication of poverty is possible by
combined efforts of all the factors that form a community such as government institutions, upper
and low class communities. Being aware about the surroundings and installing cameras around
homes and roadside poles along with reporting suspicious activity can be counted (Nicholas and
et. al., 2021). Crime is mostly committed by the people who are in difficult positions in life and
are therefore compelled to commit crimes for survival.
M2-Challenges to enabling effective public health interventions
Different challenges for addressing public health issues include limited or insufficient
funds, improper training of volunteers, scarcity of working force, insufficient political
commitment and lack of means to effectively track performance. Sometimes, lack of information
or misinformation can lead to rise in barriers for effective implementation of public health. Many
individuals of the community are resistant to change about intervention methods because of lack
of community engagement (Zenone and Kenworthy, 2022). Primary prevention of public health
issues refers to activities which are aimed at avoiding and preventing the appearance of disease.
This may include activities to improve the health by altering the effect of social and economic
identification on health care and related issues. Avoiding of labelling foods as good and bad is
necessary. All the foods administered in moderation can be part of a healthy diet. Obesity in
child can also be reduced by enhancing the availability to healthier food and beverage choices in
public service venues.
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P5-Ways used to reduce the disease in local community
Covid-19 is an infectious diseases which is caused by SARS-CoV-2 virus. Some of the
most common symptoms of this disease are mild fever, dry cough, weakness etc. Covid has
seriously affected lives of millions and it is a communicable disease. The virus spreads through
small liquid particles that emerge from mouth of an infected person. The spread of this disease is
very rapid through indoor or crowded settings. Technically, there are no agents that are known to
effectively treat Covid-19 but preventive care is possible therefore, the use of face masks,
practising quarantine and imposing bans on public gatherings should be done. The main aim of
these measures is to reduce the transmission of diseases. This helps in reducing the burden of
Covid scare (Reddy and et. al., 2020).
Smoking initiation can be controlled by governmental programmes and anti-tobacco
advertising. By implementation of smoke free policies the triggers of smoking can be broken
down and mass media programmes can aid in reducing down the smoking triggers in youths
(Grau and et. al., 2022). Methods for smoking interventions include trying nicotine replacement
therapy, proper trigger management, trying relaxation techniques, incorporation of physical
activities in daily routine can be initiated to prevent relapse to smoking. Resorting to smoking e-
cigarettes has proven to be a safe and effective method for slow and gradual withdrawal therapy.
Chewing on something to prevent smoking triggers has proved to be helpful for many chain
smokers. Relaxation techniques such as yoga and meditation can reduce the stress caused during
withdrawal symptoms. Lastly, reminding oneself about the benefits of leaving smoking and
strong determination can help in successful intervention of smoking habits (Chandan, 2020). It is
also extremely important to provide appropriate employment opportunities by the government
agencies to help elevate the standard of living for the poor.
In this, covid is the major issue which is reflected within the UK and cause various
complication with life threatening issue. In addition, the government used to play role by
fostering the strategies such as physical distance and wearing mask which help to reduce the
spread of covid in UK. In contrary, smoking is also act as burden of fraction in UK which is
controlled by hiking the price of cigarette and enduring extra tax on cigarette and spread
awareness which is well related with impact of smoking that is arising issue of cancer and other
risk.
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P6-Role of statutory bodies in the development of health protection strategies
Healthcare is a service industry which includes the role of looking after the people's
health with utmost care and guidance. It needs to be regulated and implemented on regular basis
to assist the government's decision to properly enforce the requirements of the general public.
NHS or national health service is responsible in reduce health inequalities along with sustaining
future generations. Promotion of healthy living along with preventing poor health are some
prime roles of the organisation (Vittrup and McClure, 2018). Role of health care professionals
under NHS such as a general practitioner includes examination of patients, diagnosis of illnesses
(Skandari, 2019). NHS regulates and superintend healthcare by ensuring that the healthcare
bodies are provided with facilities that fulfils public health care requirements and provide safe
and sound care to all the enduring patients and visitors. NHS is thus responsible for keeping track
of how well healthcare system is abiding by with the problems and working of the service along
with other legal requirements in best interest of the people of England.
CQC or care quality commission is another Statutory body which publishes the standards
of quality, offers certification, education and training for healthcare professionals. The foremost
duty of the CQC is to prevent and provide treatment of the illness along with proper health
facilities like health centres, hospitals, laboratories for proper and precise testing of the illness
and diseases. Other facilities such as ambulatory or blood bank services are also catered. CQC
also promotes welfare of the entire population ensuring safety of the patients and protection
against spread of any kind infectious disease or environmental hazards. The main duties of public
welfare organisations is to maintain an up-to-date record of all the professionals working in the
healthcare system. They set and maintain standards for education and training of the
professionals. For example, a healthcare professional such as a registered nurse who are
advocates for promotion of health, plays an important role in addressing the lifestyle of an
individual along with educating the patient about their illness. CQC is an independent regulator
of health in the UK which was established in 2009 for regulation and inspection of health and
social care services (Thompson and et. al., 2019). The role of CQC that is care quality
commission which is an independent regulator which they are used to register the health and
adult social care service that is provided by provider in England to population. They usually
check through the concept of inspection and ongoing monitoring that follow the standard which
is reliable and valued to meet. In this, all general practitioner in the practice which is well
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associated in England must be registered with the CQC. At same, the NHS is also play vital role
in health and social care by providing proper guideline and various health intervention for the
public health issue which is happen within UK.
M3- Effectiveness of health promotion strategies to prevent disease
Health promotion strategies help in encouraging healthy behaviour among individuals of
the community. Awareness about following healthy habits and properly handling food and safety
items with hygienic self potentially reduces the risk of contracting diseases. Staying home when
an individual feels sick along with proper washing of hands before and after meals. These
strategies can also reduce the mortality rate and the risk of premature deaths.
D2- Effectiveness of different type of health promotion activities based on nationwide health
promotion strategies
Health promotion as defined by WHO is the ability of people to take control over their
own health and in order to achieve that it is important for individuals to be aware about the
concept of health. Health promotional activities enable the people in a community to educate
themselves about the importance of execution of care measures to improve their own health and
the consequences of contracting a disease which can affect the quality of lives and lead to
premature deaths. Many factors that affect the health of adults, youth and children (Lanigan and
et. al., 2019). For example, prevention of obesity in children nowadays can be implemented in
different ways such as conducting a community assessment, by identifying the best suitable and
top policies and prioritising best suited local conditions for affected individuals so that they
encourage themselves to achieve a better health in their lifestyle. By discouraging eating meals
or junk foods while watching TV, by buying fewer high calorie, and low nutrient foods.
CONCLUSION
From the above study it can be concluded that assessment of public health is extremely
important in order to determine the social and political determinants of health. This helps in
rectification of issues faced by local public along with aiding the government to form
intervention strategies for reducing the complications. The development and execution of proper
policies helps identify needs of public on an individual basis based on evaluation of data.
Identification of strengths and weaknesses in a system contribute to welfare of community. The
main aim of public health assessment is to fill an important gap which is present in an
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organisation restricting its growth. A set of priorities are identifies on the basis of the data
collected and a cost benefit analysis is implemented.
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