Pharmacy in Public Health: Health Promotion Course, date, etc. info

Learning Outcomes Define health promotion Relate the determinants of health to health promotion interventions Identify types of knowledge provided by health education Differentiate among health promotion interventions at each level Describe the rationale for pharmacists participation in health promotion

The Determinants of Health Those factors associated with health either internal to the person or a characteristic of their external environment Health determinants within an ecological framework will be used to guide the discussion of health promotion

Levels of Health Determinants Individual—e.g. level of education Community—e.g. availability and accessibility of primary health care services State—e.g. laws promulgated by the state legislature to improve health National—e.g. availability of grant programs to improve local services Global—e.g. availability of organizations that can coordinate global responses

Levels of Health Determinants

Health promotion Is defined as actions affecting one or more determinants of health Goal is to enable people to maintain or improve their physical, mental, or social well- being

Health promotion within an ecological framework Positive interactions with the external environment improve health and well-being Negative interactions with the external environment result in illness or disease

Strategies for health promotion Education—including general literacy as well as health literacy Modifying the external environment to encourage interactions that promote well- being rather than interactions that promote disease Combination of the two strategies—provide education and modify the environment

Definition of health education Any activity intended to produce changes in knowledge or ways of thinking that facilitates skill acquisition or behavior change related to health – Most health promotion activities involve at least some education – Education may be aimed at community members or policymakers

Components of health education Awareness—knowledge that a health issue exists How-to knowledge—the skill to use the knowledge to promote health Knowledge of principles—why the action promotes health; without knowledge of why, health promotion knowledge may be misused

Individual level interventions Goal and rationale: persuade an individual to engage in activities that promote health—e.g. activities related to hygiene or safety Target population: usually broad population groups Interventions: poster campaign; ads on TV Outcomes & evaluation: proportion of people engaging in activity

Example individual level health promotion intervention

Community level health promotion intervention Goal and rationale—an individual’s immediate environment can enable or inhibit healthy behaviors Target—e.g. community infrastructure Interventions—e.g. increasing the number of primary care clinics on a university campus Outcome and evaluation—Timely treatment of minor illness; reduced absenteeism

State and national level interventions Goals and rationale—resource allocation or regulations can improve community infrastructure or services Target—infrastructure or services Interventions—Grant programs aimed at improving infrastructure; regulations for manufacture of products, e.g. FDA Outcome and evaluation—Medications are safe and effective; incidence of drug related events is reduced

Global level health promotion interventions Goal and rationale—Prevent illness or injury Target—Imported products, including toys, foods, medications Intervention—Trade agreements, regulations or standards for imported products Outcomes and evaluation—Reduced exposure to contaminated products; evaluate through reports of defective or contaminated products

Role of community pharmacist in health promotion Community pharmacy is an ideal location for health promotion activities – Pharmacists are trusted health care professionals – Most accessible health care professional Ability to customize interventions to meet needs of local residents – Address cultural issues in educational materials – Adapt educational level of materials

Summary Health promotion involves actions addressing one or more determinants of health Goal is to improve well-being Education is a critical component of health promotion Health promotion interventions consist of goals and rationale, the target population, the intervention and outcomes/evaluation Role of pharmacist in health promotion