Health Promotion Course Research Articles

Wiltshire pharmacy health promotion training initiative: a telephone survey

Abstract A telephone survey of 40 pharmacists before and after attendance on a health promotion course in Wiltshire, conducted using semi-structured questionnaires, indicated that training led to changes in knowledge and perceived changes in attitude and practice. The value of the increased knowledge was recognised by participants, in particular when talking to patients and other health professionals. The change in attitude, towards a more holistic view of health, is seen by the authors as a positive benefit of training, as it may be of value to the pharmacists. Changes in practice were evident despite recognised constraints. Recommendations for future health promotion training schemes are: training should be ongoing; joint working with other health care professionals is needed fully to achieve training objectives; the role of the pharmacist should be promoted; and this currently unremunerated role should be recognised by Wiltshire health authority for its potential contribution towards the health care of the population, and receive appropriate funding.

What’s the future for health promotion in England? The views of practitioners

Specialized health promotion is an internationally recognized occupation and field of activity which has had a chequered history in England. After flourishing briefly in some areas in the early years of the New Labour government it has been in decline in most parts of the country. The last survey of practice conducted in 2005 found that the specialized health promotion workforce was unevenly distributed and much in need of advocacy and development. Since then there has been another major reorganization of primary care trusts (PCTs) and a split between commissioning and provider functions. Practitioners' views on the impact of this on health promotion were gathered in a survey in 2008-2009. Participants comprised 36 people attending a Shaping the Future workshop in the North of England and 40 practitioners studying a masters course in health promotion. The findings reveal that organizational structure has a major impact on the nature of health promotion activity: the split between commissioning and provider functions of PCTs has presented huge challenges to practitioners irrespective of the arm in which they are placed, as one of the strengths of health promotion has always been its ability to straddle both strategic and operational levels and offer a joined-up approach to tackling the causes of ill health. For the specialized health promotion workforce, there has been a loss of identity and critical mass as the discipline is increasingly reduced and fragmented, a trend that looks set to worsen following further reorganization and reductions in public sector spending introduced by the new coalition government.

Health behaviour, body composition and motor performance in female university students

The aims of this study were 1) to present the health awareness characteristic of the female students, 2) to characterize the differences by groups along the comparison of health behaviour, selected body composition attributes and cardio-respiratory performances variables. The two groups of the sample; one group consisted of students majoring in teacher training, social pedagogy, tourism and catering, the others are majors in recreation, health promotion courses (n=109); were selected from full-time female students at the University of West Hungary. In our research we used questionnaire (for investigate health behaviour and attitude), the Rockport Fitness Walking Test (for the measurement of cardio-respiratory performance in the sub-max zone to estimate relative VO2max) and InBody 720 bioelectrical impedance scanner (for analyzing body composition). For the analysis, descriptive statistics, one-way ANOVA and Mann Whitney U test were used testing significance at the 95% level of confidence. Differences between the group members’ health behaviour was found in only one examined dimension, namely physical activity. The results of other indicators (the hours of tiredness, state of health, habits of smoking and alcohol consumption) showed identical values. We have find significant difference between the groups in the following variables: frequency of physical activity, the muscle percentage and the cardio-respiratory performance. With the exception of one segment of body composition and the results of physical activity indicators; probably due to differences in physical activity; the groups can be viewed as strongly heterogeneous.

A novel cardiovascular risk screening and health promotion service learning course

Introduction The Cardiovascular (CV) Risk Screening and Health Promotion course was created to develop the pharmacy student's ability to conduct screening and assessment in a community setting and to supplement skills introduced in the required Patient Assessment course. Methods Students completed a 10-hour training session that consisted of lecture, practice sessions, and skills assessment to achieve competence in the measurement of cholesterol, blood glucose, blood pressure, waist circumference, body mass index, as well as the assessment of CV risk. Students were then required to complete 12 hours of service learning with guided reflection. Changes in knowledge and confidence were assessed pre- and post-training session through written exams. Results Mean knowledge scores improved from 5.00 ± 1.70 to 7.44 ± 1.38 ( p < 0.001) for blood pressure measurement, from 7.83 ± 1.32 to 8.57 ± 0.97 ( p = 0.001) for cholesterol/glucose measurement, and from 3.85 ± 2.04 to 7.93 + 1.66 ( p < 0.001) for CV risk assessment. Confidence was also significantly increased in all three areas and was sustained at four months. Conclusion The CV Risk Screening and Health Promotion course improves knowledge and confidence in students' ability to measure blood pressure, cholesterol and glucose levels, and assess cardiovascular risk to promote lifestyle and medical therapy interventions.

Training rural women to improve access to oral health awareness programmes in remote villages in Nepal

Description of experiences and results of training rural women in Nepal to recognize basic oral health problems and to perform basic oral health promotion activities. Rural women from different districts of Nepal were trained in a 1-day course in oral health promotion as part of a 4-month vocational skills programme targeted at them. Their knowledge about preventive oral care, their recognition of basic oral health problems and their ability to perform basic oral health education were assessed qualitatively and quantitatively before and after the course. From 2006 to 2009, 141 women from 30 mostly rural districts were trained. Following the educational intervention, an overall trend towards improvement of their oral health awareness and their knowledge was documented. They proved to be competent in oral health promotion activities, in demonstrating oral hygiene techniques and in recognizing basic oral health problems. They were able to organize oral health awareness programmes in their villages and acted as advocates for the benefits of fluoridated toothpaste. After 3 years, they educated 2100 other community members, with at least 4000 children participating in their oral health awareness programmes. A community-oriented educational intervention programme for rural women in basic oral health promotion activities could be a successful culturally sensitive means to support access to oral health awareness programmes for Nepalese people in remote areas.

Gesundheitswirkungen von Prävention: Erprobung des Evaluationssystems der Krankenkassen im Individualansatz und erste Befunde aus 212 Gesundheitskursen

The purpose of this study was to develop a measurement system for the evaluation of health promotion training courses offered by German statutory health insurance companies. In a field test, N=1 671 participants from 212 youth and adult courses for the promotion of either physical activity, coping with stress or nutritional improvement were included. 80% were female. Participants were questioned in a pre-post-design with a three month follow-up. The questionnaires covered health behaviour and health status. Participants' compliance and psychometric quality of the measurement instruments were good. On average, the health insurance companies assigned participants to different interventions adequately according to the participant's individual health problems. The health promotion courses triggered improvements of high effect sizes for health behaviour patterns, of moderate effect sizes for physical complaints, subjective health ratings, and health-related quality of life. Effects decreased after the end of the intervention but remained significantly above the initial values. BMI values continued their improvement after the end of the training courses. Thus, health promotion training courses generated stable health improvements of practically relevant effect sizes. The interventions provided good support and health improvements for all subgroups of participants, regardless of age, gender and educational background. Thus, the health promotion curricula of the health insurance companies offer a ubiquitous and easily accessible but effective intervention for health promotion in Germany, although men are clearly underrepresented among the participants. The trainings may be recommended and used by other health-care suppliers. The evaluation toolkit provides practical and valid instruments for a routine evaluation of health promotion trainings. It should be applied within random sampling designs.

An Investigation of the ‘Physical Condition Scale’ in the “Self-Awareness Score”

Throughout the many years of gymnastic exercise class instructions, our aim has been to enable subjects to acquire the ability to manage their own health, based on the idea that one should take responsibility for maintaining one′s own health. We believe, as stated by Kawamorita et al., that the ability to self-manage health entails being able to comprehend one′s mental and physical conditions and to practice healthy behaviors in a self-directed manner. We believe that in putting these healthy behaviors into practice, it is important for subjects to be able to ascertain changes in their mental and physical conditions within their day-to-day activities. This act of ascertaining one′s mental and physical conditions is what we have termed “self-awareness”, and we have developed the “Self-Awareness Score” as a scale to monitor changes in the subject′s conditions. We positioned the “Self-Awareness Score” as a scale to monitor any changes in mental and physical conditions resulting from gymnastic exercise. The scale is separated into two factors, the mental condition and the physical condition, and its purpose is to provide a way to visualize and understand subjective evaluations.The purpose of this round of research was to focus on and investigate the physical condition scale of the “Self-Awareness Score” by utilizing physical strength and fitness tests, step count recording, and a questionnaire regarding changes in mental and physical conditions. The subjects of the research were attendees of the Health Promotion courses in the Center forLifelong Learning and Extension Programs at the Shibaura Institute of Technology. The group (all residents of Saitama City) comprised 4 males and 11 females for a total of 15 people. The average age of the males was 53.5 years old, 50.5 years old for females and the group average was 51.3 years old (±11.6). In the period from October 13th through November 17th 2007, in addition to lectures on exercising, a total of five classes were implemented, each comprising approximately 90 minutes of gymnastic exercises.The results of this round of research showed no significant differences in the mean values of the measurements taken before and after the course between the “Self-Awareness Score” physical condition scale and each of the following items: physical strength and fitness tests, step count recordings, and results in the questionnaire on changes in mental and physical conditions. No correlation between the above items was found as well. This suggests that there is no relationship between the physical condition scale and the measured items.On the other hand, the results from the questionnaire regarding changes in mental and physical conditions and the “Self-Awareness Scores” showed that subjects both actually felt and became aware of changes in their mental and physical conditions. From this, we believe that through self-awareness, subjects were able to comprehend their mental and physical conditions, and that this can lead to the subjects acquiring the ability to manage their own health.

Health Promotion Course a Valuable Tool

Health Promotion Course a Valuable Tool

Response: Health Promotion Course a Valuable Tool

Response: Health Promotion Course a Valuable Tool

A Pilot Study of Instructor Factors and Student Preferences

In order to gain a better understanding of the ways in which an instructor could enhance an on-line learning experience, we surveyed 96 students enrolled in on-line Health Promotion and Wellness courses. Almost all respondents felt that sending e-mailed reminders and posting announcements on the course was very important or important for enhancing the on-line learning experience. There was a mixed response in the ratings for how important it was for an on-line instructor to host on-line office hours and the weakest ratings were for rating importance of having asynchronous time with an on-line instructor. Not surprisingly, most students used the library for research purposes less often or as often for their on-line courses than for their face-to-face courses. However, the majority of students used the Internet for resources more often or as often. Interestingly, half of the respondents felt that they interacted more with classmates in their on-line course. The amount of time spent preparing assignments in a face-to-face versus an on-line course was split.

Health promotion competencies: providing a road map for health promotion to assume a prominent role in global health

Understanding of health and its determinants is rapidly expanding and changing. The emergence of chronic diseases as the leading cause of global disease burden and improved understanding of social determinants of health has brought greater focus to the role of prevention in health. The IUHPE has shown outstanding leadership through the Galway Consensus Statement. Its three recommendations appropriately focus on stimulating dialogue, developing global consensus and communicating the results to key stakeholders. The IUHPE can further enhance progress of the statement by developing participative processes to ensure engagement and ownership by its members. The Galway Consensus Statement can be used to advance professional standards in global health promotion by: (1) providing a common language by which health promotion and its meaning can be communicated to others; (2) providing a framework for building capacity in the health promotion workforce and in the health workforce in general; (3) providing international consensus for consistency in university health promotion courses; (4) providing a framework for credentialing in health promotion; (5) better informing health promotion engagement with other significant workforce sectors and advancing partnership as a key way of working. A vital further application of the Galway Consensus Statement is to inform advocacy. Advocacy is vital to ensure health promotion is better resourced and prioritized by policy makers. Advocacy and communication are vital tools to highlight the evidence, establish the policy fit and infrastructure requirements of health promotion, and present health promotion solutions based on evidence of effectiveness.

Promoting Health in Early-Stage Dementia: Evaluation of a 12-Week Course

This project tested a 12-week health promotion course for older adults with early-stage dementia. In a quasi-experimental design, participants were assigned by site to intervention group or control group and evaluated at two time points. Mini-Mental State Examination scores, Geriatric Depression Scale scores, health behaviors, plus several measures of psychological well-being were used in this study. In the independent samples t-test analysis, significant positive change was found from pretest to posttest for the treatment group on cognition and depression. A chi square analysis found several significant positive differences in health behaviors for the treatment group.

Impact of a five-day short course on integration of health promotion into practice in north Queensland

Workforce development is one element of health promotion capacity building. This paper describes the extent to which participants in a five-day short course in health promotion, delivered three times in north Queensland during 2007, reported greater adoption of health promotion within their work roles, and the factors that affected the level of adoption. Out of 54 course attendees, 39 completed a post-course survey five to nine months after completing the course (72% response rate). Additionally, 11 course attendees participated in a focus group or phone interview to explore survey findings. The courses succeeded in providing knowledge, skills, confidence and enthusiasm to undertake health promotion work. Eighty per cent of participants stated they had incorporated health promotion into their work frequently or all of the time since undertaking the course. Lack of understanding of health promotion from co-workers and managers, lack of organisational support and commitment, lack of resources, competing clinical priorities, and lack of time were cited as the main barriers for undertaking health promotion. The course met participant training needs. However, similar training across all levels of staff including management may help to develop organisational capacity, thereby building a more knowledgeable workforce that is supported to undertake health promotion as a core part of an organisation's business.

Simulating Health Promotion in an Online Environment

Although Web-based courses have distinct advantages, one of the challenges of the medium is to assess students' abilities to apply knowledge, especially regarding interpersonal communication skills. The purpose of this article is to describe a motivational interviewing application exercise developed for a graduate-level online health promotion course. Small groups of students met online for synchronous role-play chatroom experiences in which students guided each other toward healthy lifestyle behavioral changes using motivational interviewing skills. Chatroom transcripts and students' reflections demonstrated a deeper understanding and appreciation for motivational interviewing and appeared to alter their perceptions of health promotion beyond the task of providing patient education.

Effectiveness of an Educational Program in Health Promotion and Injury Prevention for Freshman Music Majors

The purpose of this program evaluation was to examine the effectiveness of an educational course in health promotion and injury prevention designed specifically for college music majors. Course content included the provision of information on medical problems commonly seen in musicians, effective health promotion and preventive strategies, and application of this knowledge to music playing and other daily occupations. Students were taught how to assess risk for potential injury for themselves and their future students. Course content and self-assessment questionnaires aimed at assessing the students' use of health and injury prevention measures were administered before the start of the course, immediately after course completion, and 6 weeks later. The outcomes indicated that students improved in their overall knowledge of the content covered in this educational module and that this increased knowledge was retained 6 weeks later. Interestingly, self-perceived application of health promotion and injury prevention strategies did not improve significantly at the completion of the course but did so 6 weeks later, possibly indicating that behavior change takes longer to incorporate into one's daily routine. Literature suggests that such education programs have benefited performing artists, and these results indicate the efficacy of this type of educational program within an academic curriculum for student musicians. In addition, this program illustrates the role of the occupational therapist as a consultant and educator in the practice of performing arts medicine.

Your faith or mine: a pregnancy spacing intervention in an ultra-orthodox Jewish community in Israel

Ultra-orthodox (haredi) Jews in Israel have an exceptionally high fertility rate of 7.7. As most fathers spend their days studying the Bible, the women struggle to support their large families under severe economic pressures. Some women experience maternal exhaustion coping with this life situation. Contraception for pregnancy spacing raises myriad dilemmas in the haredi community, however, many of which apply to promoting family planning in religious settings more generally. In a health promotion course for 23 haredi registered nurses at the University of Haifa in 2006–2007, pregnancy spacing was selected as the subject of the class project, the main aim of which was to convey an influential health message in a culturally acceptable manner. As the issue was debated, it was agreed the project should also address a range of women's health problems as well as pregnancy spacing. Thus, maternal nutrition, pelvic floor tone, dental health, maternal exhaustion and competition over number of children were added. A brochure was prepared and widely distributed in the haredi community, where it was well received. This paper describes the classroom dynamics during the planning and application of the project. It illustrates the importance of cultural awareness when addressing sensitive issues and communities with particular cultural dispositions.

Health Promotion Courses for Music Students: Part III

The September 2006 issue of MPPA contained a Special Article and editorial on health promotion in schools of music, based on work done by the Performing Arts Medicine Association and the National Association of Schools of Music. Among the conclusions reached at the Health Promotion in Schools of Music Conference in 2004 was the recommendation to "develop and offer an undergraduate occupational health course for all music majors." This series of Special Articles in MPPA contains descriptions of courses that have been developed and offered for this purpose. This is the third and final part of the series.

Using art in pre‐registration nurse education

PurposeThe paper comprises an evaluation of the inclusion of art‐related education within a health promotion course for student nurses, which ran for four cohorts from 2001 to 2005, and a description of a project to introduce art into a clinical skills laboratory as part of the course.Design/methodology/approachThe art‐related aspects of the course were evaluated by analysing qualitative comments from a questionnaire completed by a total of 83 students from the four cohorts. In addition, lecturers were invited to write their reflections. Only the 2003‐2004 cohort worked on the clinical skills laboratory art project in which students acted as a focus group, and later carried out interviews with patients.FindingsThe art‐related education was positively evaluated by most students, and appeared to have increased their awareness of health care environments. For some, it had promoted emotional awareness, empathy for patients and had been a therapeutic and enjoyable experience. A specification for art work to be introduced to the university's clinical skills laboratory was produced.Originality/valueUsing the arts in pre‐registration nurse education is relatively new in the UK, and this work provides an example of its potential to encourage empathy among student nurses for the experience of patients in health care settings. The paper provides an example of how art work could be introduced into health care settings.

Health Promotion Courses for Music Students: Part II

Health Promotion Courses for Music Students: Part II

Promoting discussions about cultural competence in an undergraduate health course

Objective The objective of this study was to determine how themes expressed in The Spirit Catches You and Then You Fall, influenced Health Promotion and Wellness students in terms of cultural competence in future practice. Design This was a cross sectional, qualitative study. Setting The setting for this study was Oswego, New York in the United States. Method This study used qualitative methods to describe the ideas of 18 undergraduate students enrolled in Health Promotion Planning, a required class for health promotion majors. This report is based on their final reflection in which they were asked to write about the bearing this book will have on their future careers in health promotion. The results were determined using an inductive coding approach characteristic of Grounded Theory. The responses were read several times and main themes were extracted. They were then grouped according to themes and read again. At this point, specific quotations which illustrated each theme were extracted and recorded. Results The four main themes identified were: (1) importance of knowing your audience, (2) accepting differences, (3) importance of communication in education, and (4) value of learning together. Each of these themes is discussed and direct quotations from the students are used to illustrate different points. Conclusion Providing students with concrete examples of the importance of being culturally sensitive may assist them in reflecting on and appreciating different aspects of working with individuals from diverse cultural backgrounds. The Spirit Catches You and Then You Fall, by Anne Fadiman, is an example of why health educators need to put cultural sensitivity into practice. Discussing this book with a group of undergraduate health promotion majors led the students to several insights concerning cultural sensitivity. This book may be a useful tool for introducing the concept of cultural competence to undergraduate students enrolled in a health promotion course.