Health risks and health promotion for older women: utility of a health promotion diary

Elderly women require health screening and health promotion services from nurses and other health care providers. Nurses serving this population require knowledge of age-specific health screening and health promotion services. A case study from a geriatric nurse practitioner's practice demonstrates the complexity of these activities. A diary of such services can help nurses focus on elderly women's needs for health promotion interventions.     

Health, health promotion and the elderly

Health promotion is a mode of practice which is being increasingly examined by policymakers (DHSS, 1987; DoH, 1992). Although practitioners are being required to screen people over 75 years of age and are exhorted to reduce accidents in the elderly by 33% between 1990 and 2005 (DoH, 1992), there is evidence that they do not value this sort of work (Pursey & Luker, 1993). This paper looks at the findings from 178 interviews with people aged over 75 years, examining the importance of health and health promotion to the elderly. Further to the work of Cox et al. (1987), it is clear that people aged over 75 years continue to engage in a wide variety of activities which are designed to keep or improve their health. Elderly people's accounts of their health suggest that the real influence of social circumstances and environment must be assessed and planned for if health promotion activity is to have relevance and meaning to this group of people. Evidence is presented which indicates that the elderly are a group of people who would welcome health-promotion activity provided it is given in easily accessible forms. The notion of client participation is highlighted as a difficult area, which is likely to require particular skill in working with elderly clients. In the light of these findings, practitioners may need to examine their own attitudes to their work with the elderly.     

The second revolution in health: Health promotion and its environmental base.

New attention is being given to how individual behavior and one's physical environment influence health. Half of the mortality in the US is due to unhealthy behavior or life-style, and a further 20% is due to environmental factors. Disease prevention and health promotion represent developing trends in health policy. Schools of public health play a key role in training health professionals to address issues of health promotion. Environmental factors such as air pollution, improper use of pesticides, and rising noise levels contribute to producing a health crisis. A new environmental ethic is needed. (7 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Health promotion for women with physical disabilities: A pilot study.

Objective: To pilot test a health promotion intervention for women with physical disabilities. Design: Pre- and postintervention questionnaires. Participants: Two groups of women with physical disabilities (n=15). Intervention: Seven-session weekly workshop intervention grounded primarily in social-cognitive theory. Setting: Disability and rehabilitation settings. Main Outcome Measures: Indicators of health status. Results: Statistically significant positive changes between pre- and postintervention scores on measures of self-efficacy for dietary behaviors, medical decision making, social interaction, physical functioning, impact of physical limitation on role activities, and vitality. Conclusion: Women with disabilities who participate in this health promotion intervention may exhibit improvements on indicators of health status. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Healthy endings. A collaborative health promotion project for the elderly

This article describes a collaborative health promotion project between a graduate nursing program at a state university and a small community hospital. The Healthy Endings program provided health promotion education to groups of older adults at a local senior center. Health promotion in this population is vital to prevent complications and decrease risks that affect quality of life. Health promotion programs were designed to be accomplished through three major components: education, health screenings/services, and the referral process. Specific project objectives focused on safety, sensory deprivation, exercise, screening, compliance with medications, and a variety of psychosocial issues. Graduate nursing students functioning proactively in a senior center on a consistent basis were viewed as valuable by both members and staff.     

Health promotion and coronary heart disease: A rejoinder.

Replies to the contention of R. C. Lefebvre (see record 1986-20193-001) that the review by the present author (see record 1985-12441-001) of the diet/heart controversy is one-sided and will induce uncertainty. Although there is no disagreement that preventive efforts should be supported, concern is expressed about Lefebvre's suggestion that a discussion of inconsistent scientific data should be avoided. (9 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A framework for health promotion and disease prevention programs.

There is a disquieting sense that many theoretically based health behavior change programs have been only minimally effective. Part of the problem may be that most current theories have considerable overlap, primarily focus on intraindividual and other individual-level variables, and tend to neglect the environment and issues related to program implementation. A framework is developed for health promotion and disease prevention programs that makes use of epidemiological and health indicator data and Healthy People 2000 goals to prioritize efforts, provides a schema to formulate programs on the basis of timing (prevention) and level of intervention, and addresses the marketing approach to target and implement programs. The framework integrates current theories to guide marketing and phases of research. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A quality culture for health promotion!

Circulating platelets are susceptible to various stimuli in vessels, and a certain portion of platelets may thereby form native microaggregates (NMAs), which can be visualized by a bother scanning electron microscopy (SEM). We developed an easy method to evaluate the existence and extent of NMAs and the subsequent spontaneous platelet aggregation (SPA) induced by not any agonist but stirring force with a novel platelet aggregometer (PA-200; Kowa, Tsukuba, Japan) employing a particle-counting method based on laser light scattering. In this system, platelet-rich plasma obtained by a delicate centrifugation was infused in a cuvette to replace the content and to avoid stirring shear. An insertion attachment was designed in a coaxial shape to maintain a constant sample volume. Our data indicated that NMAs, tentatively defined as a "small" division by their light scattering (25-400 of the intensity threshold), could be detected by not only a complicated SEM but also by our simple system with the PA-200 in a few minutes. No correlation was found in the comparison of the existence of NMAs and the SPA generation, in aliquot platelets, respectively. These results suggested that NMAs and SPA might be mutually different cluster and have meanings as representations of platelet status.     

Mental health and the workplace: An interchangeable partnership.

Mental health is an important component of occupational health. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health recognizes psychological disorders as one of the 10 leading work-related diseases and injuries (J. D. Millar, 1984). Job-related stress is receiving an increasing amount of public attention, and several studies indicate that stress-related conditions are among the most important health problems of the 1990s for people at work and outside of work. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Health promotion and health education: what role should the nurse adopt in practice?

Health promotion is widely accepted as part of the role of the nurse, midwife and health visitor. Theoretical definitions of health promotion and health education are presented. The author suggests that a variety of different approaches to health promotion can be adopted by nurses in practice, including education, persuasion, manipulation and attempts to promote an environment where healthy decisions about lifestyle can be made. Each strategy is examined and the advantages and the ethical limitations are explored. It is suggested that nurses may theoretically accept the notion of being a health promoter, but that in the reality of practice, their role may be primarily that of the health educator. The importance of recognizing that there are a variety of determinants of health, including social and environmental factors, as well as individual lifestyle, is emphasized throughout the paper.     

The connection between clinical health promotion and health status: A critical overview.

Argues that the clinical practice of health promotion is based on at least 4 assumptions: (a) behaviors increase the risk of certain chronic diseases; (b) changes in behaviors can reduce the probability of risk of certain diseases; (c) behavior can be easily changed; and (d) behavioral interventions are cost-effective. Although data support most of these assumptions, the strength of the support is shown to be much weaker than is assumed by many psychologists. Thus, the expected health benefits from behavioral programs may not match the enthusiasm espoused by some health psychologists. A major problem in this field is that outcomes are frequently not conceptualized in relation to health. Health status is therefore suggested as the focal point for conceptualizations of health psychology. (83 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Health promotion, health protection, and preventive services

Health promotion, health protection, and preventive services reflect the 21 priority areas of Healthy People 2000. This article focuses on the cost-effectiveness of health promotion and the role that primary care physicians can play in this initiative.     

Health promotion and coronary heart disease: A comment on consensus.

Responds a 2nd time (for the 1st response, see record 1986-20182-001) to R. C. Lefebvre's (see record 1986-20193-001) critique of the present author's (see record 1985-21441-001) article on health promotion and coronary heart disease by contending that contrary to Lefebvre's view, there is not a clear consensus among epidemiologists about the value of lowering blood cholesterol to prevent coronary heart disease. (5 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Health promotion in the community: Development of a curriculum for predoctoral clinical psychologists.

There is increasing evidence that life-style choices play a major role in premature illness and death from cardiovascular disease and cancer. Skyrocketing health care costs have promoted interest in health promotion activities. Although clinical psychologists appear to be in a unique position to contribute to health promotion activities, predoctoral training programs in clinical psychology have not generally included health promotion as a significant component. My colleagues and I are developing a curriculum for predoctoral clinical psychologists in the area of health promotion. Our emphasis on community interventions, rather than office- or hospital-based interventions, is consistent with the National Institutes of Health's funding of cardiovascular disease prevention programs at Stanford, Pawtucket, and Minnesota and appears valid from both a public health perspective and a psychological perspective. Our curriculum currently includes didactic and research components, as well as two community health promotion projects. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)