Discussion 1: Health Literacy

Healthy People 2010 defined health literacy as: "The degree to which individuals have the capacity to obtain, process, and understand basic health information and services needed to make appropriate health decisions." (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2000). Healthy People 2020 expanded on this concept by adopting a plan based on the principles that "(1) everyone has the right to health information that helps them make informed decisions and (2) health services should be delivered in ways that are understandable and beneficial to health, longevity, and quality of life" (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2012, p. 1).

Reference: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion. Healthy People 2020. Washington, DC. Available at http://www.health.gov/communication/hlactionplan/pdf/Health_Literacy_Action_Plan.pdf [Accessed 2/1/2012].

For this Discussion, you explore the relationship between health literacy and personal health and wellness. You also examine ways to promote health literacy as a future professional in the health field.

To prepare for this Discussion:

• Review Chapter 16 in Health: The Basics, 10th edition Edition. Focus on how health literacy affects consumer health and personal health and wellness.
• Review the article "Critical health literacy: A review and critical analysis." Think about the impact of insufficient or lack of health literacy. Consider ways to promote health literacy.

With these thoughts in mind:

Post an explanation of the importance of health literacy to personal health and wellness. Then explain two ways health literacy can positively affect health and wellness and one consequence of poor health literacy. Finally, as a future professional in the field of health, describe one strategy you might use to promote health literacy and explain why you would use that particular strategy.

Discussion 2: Environmental Health and Emerging Trends

Think for a moment about a third-world country that has no running water and no sewage system. The human waste of the community members is left in ditches and the  water that is available is often contaminated with disease. These environmental factors can have a tremendous impact on the health and wellness of the community. Now consider the environment in which you reside or work. Are there elements in your environment that might affect your own health and wellness?

Issues such as environmental health, escalating health costs because of chronic disease, and increased healthcare needs of the aging population are leading to a growing interest in careers in promoting health and wellness.

For this Discussion, you consider how the environment can affect health and wellness. Also, think about the scope of personal health and wellness and the increase in careers related to health and wellness.

To prepare for this Discussion:

• Review Chapter 15 in Health: The Basics, 10th edition. Think about how environmental factors affect personal health and wellness.
• Review the article "Some public attitudes about health and the environment."
• Review the article "The cow in the room: Public knowledge of the links between dietary choices and health and environmental impacts."
• Think about your environment and its impact on your personal health and wellness.
• Using the Internet and the Walden Library, select two careers within the field of health that promote personal health and wellness in which you might be interested. Identify the skills and credentials necessary for each position.

With these thoughts in mind:

Select one of the two Discussion Questions.

Post a brief explanation of one way that environmental factors might positively affect personal health and wellness and one way environmental factors might negatively affect personal health and wellness. (Do not use the example in the Introduction). Then explain how you might mitigate any negative effects.

OR

Post a brief description of the careers you selected in preparation for this Discussion. Then describe the credentials needed for these careers. Finally, explain why these careers are of interest to you.

RESOURCES FOR PERSONAL HEALTH AND WELLNESS -

Donatelle, R. J. (2013). Health: The basics, 10th edition. San Francisco, CA: Pearson Benjamin Cummings.

• Chapter 15 "Promoting Environmental Health"
• Chapter 16 "Making Smart Health Care Choices"

Chinn, D. (2011). Critical health literacy: A review and critical analysis. Social Science & Medicine, 73(1), 60-67.

Baxter, R. (1990). Some public attitudes about health and the environment. Environmental Health Perspectives, 86, 261-269.

Joyce, A., Dixon, S., Comfort, J., & Hallett, J. (2008). The cow in the room: Public knowledge of the links between dietary choices and health and environmental impacts. Environmental Health Insights, 1, 31-34.

The Cow in the Room: Public Knowledge of the Links Between Dietary Choices and Health and Environmental Impacts by Joyce, A., Dixon, S., Comfort, J., & Hallett, J., in Environmental Health Insights. Copyright 2008 by Libertas Academia. Reprinted by permission of Libertas Academia via the Copyright Clearance Center.

Media

Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2012). Personal Health and Wellness: Dimensions of Health Wheel [Multimedia], Baltimore, MD: Author.

Optional Resources -

Health.gov (2012). Retrieved from http://www.health.gov/communication/literacy/

American Medical Association: Health Literacy Program (2012). Retrieved from http://www.ama-assn.org/ama/pub/about-ama/ama-foundation/our-programs/public-health/health-literacy-program.page

This week you learned about three advocacy strategies: social marketing, media advocacy, and community organizing. In this Discussion, you will apply these strategies. First, you will select a health policy that you would like to see changed. Next, you will determine how each of the three advocacy strategies could be employed to bring about the desired policy change.

To prepare for this Discussion:

• Consider the following approaches to advocating for health-related policy change:

- Social marketing

- Media advocacy

- Community organizing

Post a comprehensive response to the following. Keep your Healthy People assigned focus area in mind.

Describe a policy change for which you could advocate. Be sure the policy change would bring about a health-related behavioral and/or a cultural change.

How might you use social marketing to advocate for this health issue? Please provide examples.

How might you use media advocacy to effect this policy change? Please provide examples.

How might you use community organization to bring about the policy change? Please provide examples.

NOTE: There are additional articles about social marketing, media advocacy, and mobilizing communities in the CINAHL database in the Walden Library as well as in this week's Resources and your text. Be sure to cite your supporting documentation appropriately in correct APA format.

RESOURCES

Course Text: Social and Behavioral Foundations of Public Health

Chapter 15, "Social Marketing in Public Health"

Social marketing is one method for planning intervention programs. This chapter examines social marketing with an emphasis on the steps in the social marketing process.

Chapter 16, Approaches to Policy and Advocacy

Article: Farr, M., Wardlaw, J., & Jones, C. (2008). Tackling health inequalities using geodemographics: A social marketing approach. International Journal of Market Research, 50(4), 449-467. Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.

This paper concentrates on an innovative social marketing method, geodemographics, which is used in the public sector of society as an approach to mitigating health disparities.

Article: Galer-Unti, R. A., Tappe, M. K., & Lachenmayr, S. (2004). Advocacy 101: Getting started in health education advocacy. Health Promotion Practice, 5(3), 280-288. Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.

This article is a primer that provides you with practical information about health advocacy. You may find it a helpful resource as your work in your chosen health field.

Article: Pérez, L., & Martinez, J. (2008). Community health workers: Social justice and policy advocates for community health and well-being. American Journal of Public Health, 98(1), 11-14. Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.

Community health workers generally provide direct care to patients, which can give them a deep understanding of the life situations and disparities experienced by their patients. This article describes how community health workers can advocate for the social justice of their patients.

Article: Pulliam, R. (2009). Developing your advocacy plan. Health Education Monograph Series, 26(1), 17-23. Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.

Planning an advocacy campaign can be a daunting task. This article simplifies advocacy planning by focusing on six key points that can help you design an effective program.