Health Promotion Assessment Answers

HEALTH PROMOTION

Module 2 questions
From a health promotion perspective, when is it reasonable for governments to restrict individual liberty in order to protect population health Choose a specific context to frame your answer e.g. smoking, obesity, infectious disease etc.
What are the risks associated with ahealth promotion professional having a poor understandingof ethical principles
Module 2 answers
MODULE 2
Obesity is viewed as an epidemic having association with non-communicable diseases. It even incurs huge economic costs. Governments across the globe are making efforts to change individual behavior to counter obesity (Farrel, Warin, Moore amp Street, 2015). It is a question of concern whether such restriction of individual liberty is reasonable.
Due to the presence of largely self-regarding nature and self-understanding of obesity many of the current and traditionally proposed public health regulatory measures now seem as paternalistic (Eldredge, et al., 2017). This means that these measures will affect the individuals activity, a persons liberty and their primary goals to cope up with the illness. By taking forth the perspectives of health promotion, orientation programs and goals drafted in the view of the health of the population shouldnt violate individual liberty. For all people involved in the public health activities and human actions, the individuals who are engaged in the public health decision are guided by the commitment to social justice (Pope, 2013).
Government regulations to counter obesity generates different emotional response from the stakeholders. Obese people feel frustrated as their personal choices are questioned. Parents of obese children feel that they are being labelled as irresponsible. People in favor of government regulations argue that general food-related policies not directly targeting obesity are ineffective (Farrell, Warin, Moore and Street, 2015).
An individuals actions are at play in obesity, but these actions may even have an impact on the public health, therefore, government restrictions may be are required. Each of people in themselves has actions that alter the decision-making environment and could come up with number of unhealthy choices (Eldredge, Markham, Ruiter, et al., 2016). Ideally, individual should take steps to improve and maintain their health. They can take help from various social, economic, technological and environmental factors for maintaining good health. However, the perception should shape their individual decision only and not, of the collective entities. Obese people generally take things according to their own perspective which should be individualistic and not affect the overall population. The common set of goals that are designed by the government are effective since they limit these perspectives as the sovereign body (Pope, 2013). The individuals must obey these rules and regulations to support the positive health promotion perspectives.
Governments health regulation policies to control obesity violates individual liberty. In a way, it suggests that obese people are irresponsible and incapable of making their own health decisions. Nonetheless, the failure of education-based policies to counter obesity has warranted regulatory bodies to formulate restricting policies. In addition, in a community, the choices and decisions of an individual bear effect on the whole community. The problem arises when the actions and decisions of obese people begin to hamper public health. As a result, strict government restrictions are requisite. They are also warranted by the fact that general public finds only policies promoting healthier food choices are inefficient to fight obesity. Thus, continues the debate whether government regulations are a requirement or a restriction to tackle obesity crisis.
Health promotion is the practice of helping people gain control over their health. Ecological, social, political, and economic determinants of health are all covered in health promotional activities. Health care practitioners should be able to identify and address the risks and ethical dilemmas that generally occur during their practice of care. (Schn, 2017). Ethical principles of beneficence, non-maleficence, respect for autonomy, respect for human rights, and justice are incorporated in public health (Haahr, Norlyk amp Hall, 2013). Several ethical frameworks for public health, education and promotion practices have been developed (Runciman, Merry, amp Walton, 2017).
There are risks associated with poor understanding of ethical principles by healthcare promotion professionals. Poor knowledge of ethical principles among health promotional professionals arise due to lack of knowledge about fundamental cause of illness, needs of patients, requirements to promote the positive health outcomes. Baykara, Demir amp Yaman (2014) had reported that ethics education given to students was important for them to identify ethical violations in a hospital. A prime risk of poor public health ethics is that individuals and their caregivers may not be not treated with utmost respect by the healthcare professional. Under every circumstance, the dignity of the individual should be upheld. For example, a patient may refuse treatment based on his religious belief. In this case, health promoter should respect the individuals beliefs. Health promotional activities do not involve individual or public health but also works for community health. If the professionals are not aware of these activities, they can produce a peril and can venture into the alternatives that cannot solve the community health situation (Lundgren, amp McMakin, 2018).
A patient and their caregivers should have the right to informed consent thereby respecting their autonomy. Nonetheless, health promoters maybe faced with difficult ethical dilemmas such as choosing beneficence over respect for autonomy. For instance, vulnerable individual like older people may not have the ability of self-determination and still require the treatment (Schrems, 2014). Health promoter lacking understanding of ethical principles cannot deal with such situation and poses a risk to patient quality care.
A health promoter with poor understanding of ethical principles may violate the confidentiality of individuals health records thereby violating their human right of privacy and protection. For example, mental health patients for a vulnerable group whose privacy should be utmost protected. Patients may face discrimination in the society in case their records are not protected. The privacy of HIV patients is protected by the The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (known as HIPAA) (Cohen amp Mello, 2018). If the heathcare professionals are not aware of public ethics, they not only violate the patients right, but also attract legal action.
Health promotion professionals are integral part of patient care. They should be aware of ethical considerations during care and communication with patients. If they lack the requisite ethical awareness, then they themselves pose a risk to provision of healthcare. Each day in hospital is filled with ethical dilemmas and unawareness can have drastic effect of even delaying the treatment.

References
Baykara, Z. G., Demir, S. G. and Yaman, S. (2014). The effect of ethics training on students recognizing ethical violations and developing moral sensitivity. Nursing Ethics, 22(6), https//doi.org/10.1177/0969733014542673Cohen, I.G. and Mello, M. M. (2018). HIPAA and protecting health information in the 21st century. JAMA, 320 (3), 231-232.
Eldredge, L. K. B., Markham, C. M., Ruiter, R. A., Kok, G., Fernandez, M. E., amp Parcel, G. S. (2016). Planning health promotion programs an intervention mapping approach. John Wiley amp Sons.
Farrell, L.C., Warin, M. J., Moore, V. M. amp Street, J. M. (2016). Emotion in obesity discourse understanding public attitudes towards regulations for obesity prevention. Sociology of Health amp Illness, 38(4). 543-558.
Haahr, A., Norlyk, A. and Hall, E. O. (2014). Ethical challenges embedded in qualitative research interviews with close relatives. Nursing Ethics, 21(1), https//doi.org/10.1177/0969733013486370Lundgren, R. E., amp McMakin, A. H. (2018). Risk communication A handbook for communicating environmental, safety, and health risks. John Wiley amp Sons. London.
Pope, T. M. (2013). Limiting liberty to prevent obesity Justifiability of strong hard paternalism in public health regulation. Conn. L. Rev., 46, 1859.
Runciman, B., Merry, A., amp Walton, M. (2017). Safety and ethics in healthcare a guide to getting it right. CRC Press. Routledge.
Schn, D. A. (2017). The reflective practitioner How professionals think in action. Routledge.
Schrems, B. M. (2014). Informed consent, vulnerability and the risks of group-specific attribution. Nursing Ethics, 21(7), https//doi.org/10.1177/0969733013518448

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