health promotion theories assignment sample

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Health Promotion Theories

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HEALTH PROMOTION THEORIES

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Table of Contents

INTRODUCTION........................................................................................................................... 1

CURRENT STATISTICS OF SMOKING AND HEALTH PROMOTION ................................. 1

PROMOTION THEORIES AND THEIR CRITICAL ANALYSIS.............................................. 2

CONCLUSION............................................................................................................................... 7

RECOMMENDATIONS................................................................................................................ 8

REFERENCES ............................................................................................................................... 9





List of figures

Figure 1 Percentage of people smoking in UK............................................................................... 2

Figure 3 Theory of reasoned action ................................................................................................ 5





INTRODUCTION

In the present scenario of growing modernization are various types of new diseases and health problems

that are arising and which are especially growing among the youth at an increasing rate. It has now

become increasingly important for all the countries across the globe to take serious measures so as to

educate the public and prevent the spread of various kinds of health problems. In this regards,

different types of health promotion have been playing an important role keeping the focus on

increasing awareness of public regarding the various health problems (Beaglehole and Watt, 2013). The

purpose of the present report focus on one of the most common health issue faced by almost all the

countries of the world, that is, smoking. It is one of the most fatal habits that infect the lungs and the

entire respiratory system and can lead to the death of the individual. The report consists of data and

statistics regarding health promotion related to smoking prevailing in United Kingdom. Following this

are included two theories related to health promotion and this issue of smoking can be resolved in a

better manner. The two theories that are taken are theory of reasoned action and transtheoretical model.

The two theories have been taken as they are utilized in understanding the behavior of individual who

smoke and assist in education of their behavior.These also help the individuals to get away with the habit

of smoking and change their attitude towards it so that they can develop a positive thought towards their

life even without smoking. Transtheoretical model or state of change model is taken here in the

respect of smoking as it contains within it how a healthy behavior can be adopted and how an

unhealthy one can be eliminated (Frost, 2008). It consists of certain steps that can help the individuals to

quit their habit of smoking and lead a better life. Theory of reasoned action is important as this help to

understand the attitude and perception of the smokers and how they can change their beliefs regarding it.

Both the theories have special significance in their own way and help in changing of human behavior

so that they can quit smoking (Davies and Macdowall, 2006).

CURRENT STATISTICS OF SMOKING AND HEALTH PROMOTION

Smoking is one of the most common issues that have raised concerns for all the nations and likewise

various challenges have also been faced by United Kingdom regarding the issue of smoking. 86% of lung

cancer deaths have been caused because of tobacco smoking. Tobacco smoke is also responsible for

causing around 43000 and 60000 deaths in year 2009 and 2010 respectively in UK (Smoking statistics,

2013).





Figure 1 Percentage of people smoking in UK

(Source: Smoking statistics, 2013)

The above figure shows that though there is a decrease in the rate of percentage of the population who

smoke, but still a significant portion of population that smokes is at the verge of causing life threatening

diseases like cancer. In addition to the increasing number of deaths due to cancer, there also has been an

increment in the cost to National Health Services (NHS) from smoking from £2.7 billion in 2011 to £5.2

billion in 2012 (Smoking statistics, 2013). Along with this, smoking involves an increasing amount of

nicotine in it which is a sedative and prevents the individual from quitting the habit and provokes to take

an increasing amount. The statistics suggests that there is a need for various awareness and

promotion campaigns that can educate and inform people regarding the harmful effects of smoking on

their health. These can prove to be effective measures to make people give up this bad habit. It is true

that such type of awareness programs leaves a positive effect on the people and they do stop smoking.

The various surveys suggest that a large number of smokers have made an attempt to stop smoking and

many of them intend to do in the near future. Data shows that two thirds of smokers want to quit

smoking and even smokers of 45–54 year of age have made an attempt to prevent smoking (Statistics

on NHS Stop Smoking Services: England , 2013). More work has to be done in this field so that smoking

can be eradicated completely.

PROMOTION THEORIES AND THEIR CRITICAL ANALYSIS

Trans theoretical or the stages of change in health behavior model

The trans theoretical model gives the explanation of the diverse stages of the behavioral changes that an

individual goes through. The model holds the assumption that bringing an overall change in the

thinking and behavior of an individual is an overall process but not an





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Determination – Following the stage of contemplation is that of determination in which one

becomes determined in bringing change in behavior (Armitage and et.al., 2004). After

considering in bringing alterations, here in this step, an individual becomes highly committed to

change the behavior and give up smoking. Also, the promotion campaigns on health play a

significant role and in addition to this, family members and community service workers are also

of great help.

Action – In this stage, the process of bringing actual modification in the activities of

smokers is being brought by them.

Maintenance – Bringing a change in the behavior of people who smoke is significant but equally

important is the maintenance and sustenance of their changed behavior (Evers, 2006). This

stage is about sustaining the alterations that an individual has brought within oneself in order to

quit smoking. This helps the health promotion activities to make significant gains in this

aspect. This step is important as nicotine contained in smoking is such that it attracts the smokers

and a desire to smoke can arise anytime in their minds. Therefore, it is significant for the

smokers to maintain the change in their behavior regarding smoking and do not try to smoke

again. For this, health promotion regarding medication and treatment plays a significant role.

It has been believed that the transtheoretical model is effective in explaining about how different

processes and stages can be applied in the area of change and how each of the stage influences the

modification in the activities of an individual (Marriner and Raile, 2005). In addition to this, the

model is also successful in planning of a program regarding promotion of health so that it can be helpful

for those who need to quit smoking. In this regard, it can be critically assessed that promotion of health

is significant in order to raise awareness for those who smoke so that they come to know about ill effects

that smoking cause to them. It can be said that along with the promotion campaigns if social care workers

also work in collaboration with them then necessary changes in smokers can be brought about. It can be

reviewed that an open communication and integration among the health promotion authorities and social

care workers is required so that smokers are motivated to quit smoking and bring positive changes in their

lives. This can prove to be useful for them who are in the pre contemplation stage

(McKenzie,Thackeray and Neiger, 2009). In addition to this, an emotional and mental support of the

family being an effective one also has certain limitations.





Theory of Reasoned Action

Figure 2 Theory of reasoned action (Source: Theory of reasoned action, 2013)

The theory of reasoned action defines the link between the attitudes, norms, intentions and beliefs as well as behavior of the individuals and relates that all these are inter - linked with





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It can be analyzed that the theory of reasoned action can help the health promotion to understand the

way to change the attitude and subjective norms of the smokers and their peers and family which

eventually can alter the perception of smokers towards smoking and can perceive it is an activity

that is life threatening to them. In addition to this, the theory helps in understanding the beliefs of

the smokers and can inculcate in them the intention to bring modification in their habit of

smoking. This can make them to make necessary steps so as to change their life towards a positive

move. Thus, it can be said that theory of reasoned action is an ffective one in bringing a change in the

perception and behavior of smokers (Thorogood and Coombes, 2000).

Though the theory of reasoned action is effective in bringing changes, but this also has certain

limitations. It includes a risk of confounding between norms and attitudes since latter can be often

taken as norms and vice versa. In case of smokers, sometimes it is difficult to understand that

their habit of smoking is because of their attitude or norms. In addition to this, assumption of the

theory that when someone forms an intention to act they can act without any limitation but there are

constraints like limited ability and lack of proper environment like care workers and community

services in case of smokers that can limit their freedom to act and change their habit and behavior

of smoking. Thus, it can be said that the theory is an effective one but also has certain limitations

(Hassandoust and et. al., 2011).

CONCLUSION

From the above report, it can be concluded that health promotion is that aspect that helps to enable the

people to change their habits leading to various kinds of disabilities in them. The campaign in health

promotion in case of smoking plays a significant role in educating and raising the awareness among the

masses regarding its ill effects. In this respect, two health promotion theories have been taken in the

report, the transtheoretical model and theory of reasoned action. Both of them can be quite helpful in

bringing a change in the behavior of smokers and can also be applied by social care workers while

providing support to people who intend to quit smoking (Weber and Janet Gillespie, 2001). It can be

said that there is the need to change the attitude and norms of smokers which can be done by promotion

campaigns. This requires the support and care of social community services as well as of the family

members. Thus, it can be concluded that there is the need for improving the level of motivation

among those who want to quit smoking and with this, the interaction of personal and social attributes

play a significant role. In addition to this, the behavior attributes of the individual is also important as

the act to change in need to be initiated by itself and the social environment is a support to bring

the alterations (Paek, 2011).





RECOMMENDATIONS

Recommendations regarding the use of health promotion activities that can inculcate changes in the

smokers are as follows –

Firstly, it is important that social care workers understand their role in handling the

smokers who want to quit smoking. The care workers need to take proper care and

provide complete support to the smokers so that they are not attracted towards habit of smoking

again and again. They need to interpret the mental set up through which the smoker is going

through and how they can be managed in the correct manner. It is required of social

workers to be sympathetic with the smokers and understand the smokers properly (Röthlin,

2013).

Secondly, the health promotion campaigns should not only lay focus on raising

awareness among the masses regarding smoking but also provide various motives as well as

measures to the smokers so that they develop the need to quit the habit of smoking and change

their behavior. They also need to focus on the family of the smokers who can provide full

support to the smokers who need to give away smoking (Ford and Furlong, 2005).

Thirdly, the health promotion should portray those who have been successful in quitting smoking

as role models to people who are just thinking to quit smoking. Even the social care workers can

adopt this strategy and help the individuals to motivate them and leave smoking (Raymond,

2004).





REFERENCES

Beaglehole, H. R., and Watt, G. R., 2013. Helping smokers stop. [pdf]. Available

through:<http://www.nice.org.uk/niceMedia/documents/helping_smokers_stop.pdf//>. [Accessed on

31st December 2013].

Davies, M. and Macdowall, W., 2006. Health Promotion Theory. [PDF]. Available through: <

http://www.sanjeshp.ir/phd_91/Pages/Refrences/health%20education%20and%20promotion/[Maggie_

Davies,Wendy_Macdowall]_Health_Promotion_(BookFi.or.pdf>[Accessed on 30th December 2013].

Frost, 2008. Health Promotion Theories and Models for Program Planning and Implementation.[pdf].

Available through:

<http://azrapeprevention.org/sites/azrapeprevention.org/files/2008_01_UA.pdf//>.[Accessedon 31st

December2013].


health promotion theories assignment sample

Health & Medicine

sample document

common health issue

issue of smoking

smoking prevailing

current statistics of

present report

various types of new

increasing awareness