Health Promotion Process

Health Promotion Process [First Name, Last Name] [Institutional Affiliation] [Date] Health Promotion Process The modern world is full of barriers to good health, such as poor nutrition, harmful products, pollution, unhealthy living conditions, and the stresses of life. These factors, among others, highlight the need for health promotion. The World Health Organization (WHO) defines the term “health promotion” as it appears in the Ottawa Charter (WHO, 2017). The description majorly encompasses empowering individuals and communities to have control over the various aspects that affect their health by providing the necessary information for them to make healthy choices. Purpose Statement This health promotion process paper focuses on a specific health disparity (cancer) and links it to the various determinants of health. Also, the essay applies different health promotion concepts and theory to develop a treatment plan for cancer. Health Disparity Health disparities refer to differences in health and health outcomes that adversely impact specific groups across several dimensions, including their demographic characteristics, socioeconomic rank, and geographical environment. Although literature often views disparities through the three identified dimensions, they can also occur across others, such as an individual’s status of citizenship, disability, sexual identity and orientation, and language (Zanchetta & Poureslami, 2016). Health disparity populations have a substantial difference in the general rate of new cases (incidence), mortality, indisposition, or survival rates (Larson et al. 2018). Although multiple initiatives are already in place to eliminate disparities, recent studies by the CDC reports many groups facing disparity cases, especially among people of color. Cancer and Cancer Disparities According to the CDC (2019), cancer was the second leading cause of death (COD) in the US in 2017 with a reported 599, 108 cases which accounts for 21.3% of total deaths. The disease primarily occurs when body cells begin dividing without stopping while spreading to the surrounding tissues. Although cancer affects all populations in the US, some groups have higher rates of cancer cases and deaths than others (CDC, 2019). For example, reports indicate a more significant occurrence of breast cancer amid women than men. Also, only women contact cervical or ovarian cancer, while only men experience prostate cancer. There is a close connection between these cancer disparities and different determinants of health (ACS, 2019). Determinants of Health Various factors, beyond access to healthcare, shape the health of a population. Examples include unemployment, stress, addiction, food, among others. These determinants do not operate in isolation. They are intricately woven together (Zanchetta & Poureslami, 2016). For example, an individual without education is more likely to be unemployed and therefore suffer poor health outcomes when they age. However, other aspects, such as high levels of unemployment, can explain why a person does not have a job. Here are nine critical determinants of health and how they influence cancer among different populations in the US. The quality of diet is central to health promotion. On the one hand, inadequate food supply causes malnutrition and deficiency while on the other certain foods are the cause of illness. Evidence submits that some foods and dietary factors such as obesity increases the risk of developing certain types of cancer (Merletti, Galassi & Spadea, 2018). Example include nasopharyngeal, stomach, colorectal, liver, lung, and endometrium cancer, among others. The importance of a healthy diet extends to individuals who are diagnosed with cancer both during and after treatment. Most individuals do not evaluate nutritional information, thus end up misinformed. Therefore, diet is not only critical to reducing the risk of developing cancer but also in managing it (Zanchetta & Poureslami, 2016). Experts recommend eating a diet that is rich in vegetables, grains, legumes, and fruits. Scientists conclude that lowering sugar intake and processed meat among other foods is essential in reducing the risk of cancer development (Merletti, Galassi & Spadea, 2018). The early life of a child lays the foundation of adult health. A child from an underprivileged social and economic background faces a lifetime risk of poor physical, cognitive, and emotional health. Evidence confirms that mothers who smoke when pregnant expose the children to health threats even in adulthood (NCHS, 2016). Moreover, social work evidence supports that children who grow up in such conditions are likely to adopt similar lifestyles in the future. Thus, if the parent(s) used substances, they are likely to begin at a tender age, therefore the risk of developing cancer (Merletti, Galassi & Spadea, 2018). Relative and absolute poverty influences health outcomes since individuals are unable to access quality healthcare. Reports indicate that communities are more likely to marginalize groups from psychiatric hospitals, homeless or from correctional facilities. Thus they face difficulty in earning a living and cannot afford even subsidized health care. Lack of access to care limits a person’s ability to determine if they have cancer while it is still in its early stages. The result is that treatment becomes nearly impossible (Merletti, Galassi & Spadea, 2018). Social setting influences addiction, specifically the use of drugs such as tobacco and alcohol. For some, they seek to escape from stress while others abuse them as a form of recreation. Either way, drugs have adverse effects on the physical and psychological health of a person. Research associates smoking to lung cancer. This factor closely relates to social deprivation, poor housing, and individuals with low income. The Socioeconomic Status (SES) of an individual affects their wellbeing. SES is a term that encompasses four other determinants of health, including income, employment, education, and insurance status. Thus, Bray et al. (2018) ties these four factors together and discusses them as a collective aspect (SES) because they relate to each other. Literature suggests that people who are down the social ladder face twice the risk of contracting a severe illness and premature death than individuals at the top. People who are lower in the social hierarchy face material disadvantage, lack security, and social integration (Merletti, Galassi & Spadea, 2018). Their position may mean that they have few assets, receive a poor quality education, or live in improper housing. Such harsh living conditions have detrimental psychological and physical effects. Overall, African Americans score lower on the various SES measures as compared to their White counterparts. Recent studies assert that the risk of lung cancer is majorly associated with a person’s social-economic position or measures of disadvantage in their lives (Bray et al., 2018). There are inequalities in occupational exposures and lifestyle choices such as smoking between people in a higher social rank and those in a lower hierarchical position. Data also reveals increased smoking habit among women and men with a lower education level, thus massive inequalities in cancers related to smoking. Incidence and Epidemiology Incidence Recent data by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) (2018) for the period 2011-2015 report cancer incidence rates (number of new cases) of 439.2 per 100,000 men and women. The American Cancer Society (ACS) (2019) projects that more than 1.7 million new cases are expected to be diagnosed this year alone, and more than 600,000 Americans are expected to die from the disease. These incidence and death rates vary further by the state for selected cancer types. An excellent ...