HEALTH PROMOTION

Health Promotion in Health and Social Care

Health Promotion in Health and Social Care

Definition of health

World Health Organization defines health as, “Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.” The definition for health had not changed since its adaptation in 1948, but the circumstances involved in maintenance and promotion of health vary on various grounds.Social and economical influences on health

There are many socioeconomic levels of people living in the same community. A group may be more advantageous than the other. Income, area of residence, gender, ethnicity, occupation, and education are some of the factors which manipulate personal health maintenance (Graham, 2004, p. 4-9). A person's education, occupation, and income are inter-related and manoeuvre his or her lifestyle and health status.

Variation in opportunities available to people, lead to inequality in healthcare provision. This disparity can be observed throughout the life of individuals. There is a study suggesting that difficulties in the initial period of life lead to healthcare issues in adult life (Power et al, 2007, p. 532-9). Adults with impecunious resources find difficulty in managing their job with a concurrent malady and associated discrimination. These people are vulnerable to abuse and addiction due to their social environment. Their dietary habits also contribute to their overall hygiene; malnourished people are more prone to catching diseases than well-nourished people.

The gradient in health status of people with varying social and economical backgrounds is also evident in average life span of both groups (Atherton et al, 2007, p. 486-91). People with limited or no education is engaged in hazardous occupations with chances of physical harm. Unemployed folks are dependent on their benefactor or state for fulfilment of their fitness needs. The difference in health perception is also a contributing factor to healthcare inequalities. Most of the citizens do not seek medical help until they are sick.

Immigrants from under-developed countries of the world are customized to their less-privileged conditions back home. The behaviour of these migrants adds to healthcare inequalities existent in Britain. They are not aware of their health rights in United Kingdom and fail to grasp the value of their health as a contribution to society. Women' health conditions especially of those in child-bearing age highlight the contrast in healthcare provision to society.Government source reporting on health inequalities

The UK government takes healthcare policies very seriously and is working hard to eliminate discrepancies from its system. The variety of factors that lead to inequalities is a limitation for policy developers but the government has unlimited access to all the relevant data. The state holds the best position to report healthcare system inadequacy. The Black report 1980 was not received well by the ruling political party due to its cost ineffectiveness.

A review of this report was initiated in 1997 and Acheson report 1998 came up with 39 recommendations (Acheson, 1998). The causes of healthcare inequalities are so diverse that a single policy can not resolve these concerns (Exworthy et al, 2003, ...