LITERATURE REVIEW

Literature Review

Literature Review

The term Health Promotion has often been linked to sales marketing and taken to mean a propaganda approach dominated by the use of mass media; to some extent, this notion is untrue. Health promotion is concerned with the formulating of strategies and application of fundamental principles that aim to improve both the social environment and health status of individuals and communities. This essay will explain the main ideologies of health promotion. It will also identify and explain how health promotion is communicated at macro and micro level, and identify and discuss examples of community involvement in health promotion(RafaelFalk 2009).

Health promotion as defined by the World Health Organisation is the process of empowering individuals to exert an increased control over, and to improve their health. The ultimate goal of health promotion according to Kulbok Baldwin Cox Duffy (2007), is to achieve an equilibrium of the enhancement of the physical, mental and social components that contribute to positive health, in conjunction with the prevention of physical, mental and social ill health.

During the 1960's and 1970's, health promotion predominantly consisted of educating people in order for them to improve their health and change their individual attitudes and behaviours. During the latter part of the 1970's the Declaration of Alma-Ata (1978) perhaps signified the first tentative move away from health education and positive advancement towards comprehensive health promotion. Whilst the declaration centered around health education, considerable emphasis was placed upon Governments' obligation to the health of all their people, and that they should provide equal access to necessary resources in order for their citizens to attain health; the ultimate goal set out by the declaration was 'Health for All by 2000' (Laurant et al 2005)

Health Promotion In Nursing Practice

Health promotion is an essential strategy for reduction of health disparities and delivery ...