HEALTH PROMOTION

Health Promotion

Health Promotion

Introduction

Health promotion is defined as the process of enabling individuals to increase control over their health and to improve their quality of well-being by engaging in a socially, physically, and spiritually fulfilling life. This definition applies to people with and without disabilities (Landsbergis, 2008). The process of achieving good health depends on the synergy of personal engagement and commitment, and a supportive environment that includes ample opportunities for maintaining and improving health (Kreuter, 2000).

Research has demonstrated that the more supportive an environment is in terms of access to quality health promotion (e.g., available transportation to obtain good medical care, close proximity to a grocery store that sells fresh fruits and vegetables, sidewalks to walk or push a wheelchair in the neighborhood), the more likely the person is to engage in these health-enhancing behaviors. The primary goal of health promotion is to empower people with disabilities to engage in their own successful health-promoting strategies with as minimal assistance as possible, and with the freedom to make choices appropriate to their needs and desires (Heaney, 2007).

Discussion

There is growing awareness in the public health community of the need for more knowledge and awareness of effective health promotion programs for persons with disabilities. Innovative strategies for improving health, preventing complications associated with a disabling condition, and adequately preparing individuals with disabilities to better understand their own health has emerged as an important public health priority (Glasgow, 2009). While people with disabilities account for only 17 percent of the non-institutionalized population of the United States, they constitute 47 percent of total medical expenditures. On average, their medical expenditures are more than four times those of people without disabilities. Many health experts believe that access to quality health promotion programs can reduce medical costs while improving quality of life in persons with disabilities, who are generally underserved and vulnerable to the effects of poor health (Erfurt, 2006).

Overview of Health Promotion

The paradigm shift from disability prevention toward the prevention of secondary conditions is still a relatively new and emerging concept. One of the primary goals in disability and health is to encourage health professionals to become aware of the growing needs of people with physical, cognitive, and sensory disabilities. Another goal is to recognize that people with disabilities can achieve similar health benefits as the general population provided they have equal access to health promotion services/programs that are offered to the general community (Eakin, 2007).

The term prevention has a different connotation for people with and without disabilities. For people without disabilities, primary prevention starts with a person being absent of disease and includes efforts to eliminate or reduce the risk of disease or disability. Although primary prevention of disabilities remains a high priority for public health agencies and intervention specialists, prevention of secondary conditions in people with disabilities is beginning to receive more attention.

In people with disabilities, primary and secondary prevention include initiatives to prevent secondary conditions in addition to preventing conditions associated with poor health behaviors ...