The concept of health promotion initially emerged and continues to gain strength as an approach to improving health status and health condition of people. Health promotion is a key component of the complex relationship between actions, knowledge, attitudes, behaviour, and health outcomes from the individual to the societal level. Health promotion is increasingly applicable and relevant to practice within health care and health research specialty around the world.
This paper aims at exploring the fundamental concepts of health, health promotion, and multiple health models that define the effectiveness of approach taken towards the health promotion. Separate discussions of research on health require defining the boundaries of health promotion factors and how does each factor defines the effectiveness of approach taken towards health promotion (Abelson, 1995).
The primary care strategy is intended that the individual and the community learn, participate and make decisions about their own health, acquiring and responsibility for it. Both the community and individuals should be aware of what your situation, what problems should a resolve themselves and which aspects have the right to require other levels (Dent, 1993). This awareness does not arise spontaneously in people, should opportunities for discussion and reflection on Therefore, the mission of Educator Health is to bridge these spaces and become a vital tool for the development of healthy lifestyles by incorporating behavior favorable to their health . Health educator is a person who contributes consciously or unconsciously to the individuals adopts a behavioral. In this sense important to highlight the role of the family, personnel and teachers of schools (Petrochuk, 1996).
Approaches to Health Promotion
There are five approaches that are commonly used for enhancing health promotion. These approaches include:
1.Medical approach
2.Behaviour change approach
3.Educational approach
4.Empowerment approach
5.Social change approach
The Medical Approach
Medical approach focuses on freeing the people from diseases. In this approach, patient is dependent on medical professional or experts for the treatment. Major emphasis, in this concern, is placed on patient's ability to effectively follow the medical procedures (Larkin, 1993).
The Behavioural Change Approach
The behavioural change approach places concern on the patient willingness for recovery of their health. This approach places concern on behaviour and attitude change that subsequently change the lifestyle of people. Under behavioural approach, concern is placed on individuals to adopt healthy behaviours, which directly impact their motivation level for health promotion.
The Empowerment Approach
This approach is distinctively different from the above stated approaches for health promotion. This approach focuses on people-centric approach and is non-directive in nature. This model assumes that individuals are able to make free choices once they are in full possession of the facts, but this ignores social, environmental, emotional, and economic constraints
The Educational Approach
Educational approach for health promotion emphasize on integrating the behavioural change of individuals based on enhancing their information level, knowledge, and skills. This approach emphasize on building the individual capacity towards decision making for health promotion actions.
The Social Change Approach
This approach emphasize on eradicating the social inequalities that are based on disease, disabilities, gender, class, or ...