Kingdom of Saudi Arabia COLLEGE OF HEALTH SCIENCES at Al-Lith Ministry of education Um Al-Qura university COLLEGE OF HEALTH SCIENCES at Al-Lith

Health Promotion Interventions

OBJECTIVES Students should know the following health promotion interventions through: 1-Health education. 2-Environmental changes. 3-Nutritional interventions. 4-Lifestyle and behavioural changes

Ottawa charter for health promotion pre-requisites for health (WHO1986):- -peace. -shelter. -education. -food. -income. -stable ecosystem. -sustainable resources. -social justice and equity. These pre-requisites are the cornerstone for health actions.

Health promotion is not only the actions that directed at strengthening the basic life skills and capacities of individuals, but also influencing the underlying social and economic conditions and physical environments which impact upon health(WHO 1986). The role of health professionals in Health promotion is to practice with people not on them.

Therefore health promotion must create living and working conditions that are :- -safe. -stimulating. -satisfying. -and enjoyable.

The major determinants of health are not medical care inputs and utilization, but cultural ,social and economical at both individual and population levels.

The interventions in health promotion are:- 1-Health education. 2-Environmental changes. 3-Nutritional interventions. 4-Lifestyle and behavioural changes.

1-Health education:- This is one of the most cost effective interventions. A large number of diseases (both acute and chronic diseases) can be prevented by health education(increase of knowledge) if people were adequately informed about them and encouraged to take necessary precautions in time. Target for health education are the general public,patients,priority groups,health providers, community leaders and decision-makers.

2-Environmemtal changes:- The environmental hazards include biological, chemical and physical agents of disease. So that environmental control is an important method in health promotion. Provision of safe water supply and sanitary disposal of liquid and solid waste ,vector control, reduction of air and noise pollution, reduction of physical hazards as radiation as well as adequate housing and working environments. All these promote health by reducing the spread of disease.

3-Nutritional interventions:- Nutrition plays an important role in health promotion and prevention of several diseases.Overnutrition leads to obesity which leads to increase susceptibility to hypertention,diabetes mellitus and coronary heart disease. Whereas malnutrion increase susceptibility to disease and death.

Examples of nutritional interventions as addition of:- 1-Iodine to salt prevent endemic goiter. 2-Vitamin A decrease death from acute respiratory tract infections,diarrhoeal diseases and measles. 3-Floride to water prevent dental carries. -Low fat , low sugar, low salt diets should be available in order to promote health. -Encouragement of breastfeeding which is a hygienic way of feeding and it is nutritionally well balanced and it contain antibodies to fight infection (is Free from Allah).

4-Lifestyle and behavioural changes:- The action of prevention in this case is an individual and community responsibility as well as the physician and the health workers, all should act as health educators. Health education is highly important in changing the views ,behaviour and habits of people. Other means of changing harmful behaviours are organizational, legal, social and economic interventions. Examples of harmful behaviours are,smoking,alcohol,drug abuse, lack of physical exercise, over eating…….etc.