Health Literacy And Health Promotion

Since 1980, the United States has taken on 10-year plans that outline certain key national health objectives set to be accomplished during a 10-year timeframe (Shi & Singh, 2015). These initiatives are founded on medical care with prevention services, health promotion, education, community health care, and increased access to integrated services. The initiative, Healthy People 2010: Healthy People in Healthy Communities, launched in 2000. The initiative emphasizes the role of community partners such as

In this unit I am going to explain three different approaches to promoting Health Education the three approaches I am going to explain are Mass Media, Community development and Two way Communication.

The health status of the population in the United States is a national priority. The Healthy People 2020 outlines priorities and to improve the health of individuals and communities across the country. Healthy People 2020 is defined as a comprehensive set of national objectives for “improving the health of all Americans” (Healthy People 2020, n.d, para. 1). The Healthy people 2020, is aimed at improving the health of individuals and communities and envisions “a society in which all people live long, healthy lives” (Healthy People 2020, n.d, para 4). A short priority list was developed and contains twenty-six objectives knowns as Leading Health Indicators (LHI). The list of objectives was created to prioritize health issues that must be addressed and to find appropriate actions to take in order to improve the health of the population.

In 2003 The United States Department of Education completed the National Assessment of Adult Literacy (NAAL) and for the first and only time, so far, it also included items to measure the Health literacy level of adults in the U.S. This assessment intended to measure the capacity of adult individuals to sucessfully comprehend the healthcare system, basic understanding of medical conditions and all knowledge related to interaction with providers, medication management and basic knowledge on preventive measures. The results of the assessment were classified among other items by gender, race and ethnicity, language, age, level of education and poverty threshold (Kutner et al., 2006) but what is this concept and how is this related to us as nurses?

Healthy People 2020’s goal is to improve the well-being of women, infants, children, and families. As a result, increasing the quality of years of healthy life. All of this can accomplish by providing a roadmap to all to help individuals and health care providers meet these outcomes. Improving the families well-being has a great impact on the rest of each person’s life.

With the focus on these five areas, Governments in each country are creating health systems that aim to provide services that are affordable, equitable and accessible. To achieve a sustainable health system, cooperation and participation of all health care providers is vital. This will work towards WHO’s goal of achieving “better health for all”

Health literacy has been a problem with our patients. The most vulnerable populations are the elderly, people with low-income levels, those with limited education, non-native speakers of English, those with chronic mental and physical health conditions, minority, and immigrant populations. Nurses have a great role in helping our patients succeed in understanding their health conditions. Nurses can be of great help in promoting health literacy. Sykes, Wills, Rowlands and Popple (2013) defined health literacy as the ability of individuals to access, understand, appraise, and apply health information. The three domains of health literacy, according to Bennett and Perkins (2012) as adapted from the (WHO) (1998) are functional health literacy, interactive literacy, and critical health literacy. Functional health literacy is basic reading and writing skills to be able to function effectively in a health context. Interactive health literacy is the used of more advanced cognitive and literacy skills to participate in health care. Critical health literacy is the ability to analyze critically and to use information to participate in action, to overcome structural barriers to health (p.14). The U.S. Department of Education published the findings of the National Assessment of Adult Literacy conducted in 2003. The result showed that 36 % of adults have basic or below-basic skills for dealing with health material, 52 %

This article gave us information on Healthy People 2020, which was launched on December 2, 2010 by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The article states that Healthy People 2020 is a strategic approach by the federal government, states, communities, and many other public and private partners to improve the health of the US population. This plans states that improvement will be completed over a ten-year time span. The Healthy People strategy was designed to define and promote a common sense of purpose and goals. These goals include: attaining a longer high quality live free of preventable disease, disability, injury, and premature death, achieving health equity, eliminating disparities, and improving the health of all groups,

In the Common Wealth Fund’s most recent report of Mirror, Mirror on the Wall, despite the fact the US Health care system has the highest healthcare per capita expenditure and the highest proportion of specialists; it consistently has an overall ranking of last, in comparison to other industrialized nations in terms of health care efficiency, equity, quality, access, and healthy lives (Davis, Stremikis, Squires & Schoen, 2014). Healthy lives measured by mortality amenable to health care (deaths prevented with timely and effective care), healthy life expectancy and infant mortality, illustrates that a country is ensuring individuals live long and flourishing lives (Davis, Stremikis, Squires & Schoen, 2014). Healthy People 2020 which was launched

Healthy People 2020 was released in December 2010 to help the United States practice healthy lifestyles and learn to live a long healthy life. It is a set of goals that are designed to guide health promotion and disease prevention nationwide. These guidelines are set for a whole decade with the results being available after 2020. The vision and mission statement along with the goals of Health People 2020 are available on the website (healthypeople.gov) making it user friendly for everyone.

Every individual in the world deserves to enjoy health and wellness. Maintaining or achieving proper health needs enables individuals to be productive at work and leisure. Traditionally, many people have had barriers obtaining adequate healthcare due to economic constraints or personal inconveniences. Despite impressive technological advances in medicine, the challenge of delivering quality healthcare to the Americans continues to be debated amongst the nation’s political and healthcare leaders. The aging baby-boomers and the increased number of uninsured people add to the equation of population growth which results in limited access to primary healthcare for the entire public. On the

Health promotion is defined by the World Health Organization (WHO) as the process which helps people take control over the determining factors of their health which in turn will help to improve their health. With multiple determining factors of health, health promotion means working between the community and health care professionals to effectively educating the Hispanics (Journal of Cultural Diversity, 2012). “Health promotion is carried out by and with people, not on or to people” (Journal of Cultural Diversity, 2012). We as educators must have respect and not discriminate against the Hispanic population but work with them to teach them how to live healthier lives. Healthy People 2020 states that it is their dream to have a culture where all people live long, healthy lives. Health promotion means addressing the health disparities of the Hispanics so they can experience positive health

In 2010, Healthy People 2020 was started by the Department of Human Health Services. Health programs and research topics were instituted to help Americans live healthier and longer lives (CDC, 2014). The 42 topics presented are all very important in maintaining the goals set by Healthy People 2020. If these programs were to be cut or budget restraints imposed on them, the impact would be felt by all Americans. There would be more unhealthy people, preventable chronic diseases would be more prevalent, and education and health associated programs would be

Health illiteracy has become referred to as the silent epidemic. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services website, the National Assessment of Adult Literacy showed only 12 percent of adults have proficient health literacy. That means nine out of ten adults may lack the needed skills to adequately manage their health and prevent disease.

Health literacy is an essential determinant of health. Health literacy is the degree in which people have the ability to obtain process and understand fundamental health services and information in order to make informed health decisions throughout different phases of life. Patients who are better educated and informed about their options and who understand the evidence behind certain methodologies may have better health outcomes. On the other hand, low health literacy leads to many health problems. In fact, it seems to be the “single biggest cause of poor health outcomes” (Kickbusch 208). Low health literacy inhibits self-advocacy in health care settings. Patients with limited literacy cannot actively participate in health-related decisions