Health values最新文献

The term health promotion has gained wide popularity in recent years. This widespread usage has been accompanied by a wide diversity of definitions. Some of this diversity may be seen in the articles which made up this theme issue on health promotion. In many cases health promotion seems to have become an all-inclusive umbrella term under which any health service may find coverage. Health services have become health promotion services; outpatient clinics have become health-promotion centers. In these cases, "health promotion" has become a fad or a gimmick--as meaningless as labelling certain cereals and other foods as "natural." Others use health promotion as an umbrella term but of more limited scope. Perhaps the most popular of these is Green's definition of health promotion as, "any combination of educational, organizational, economic and environmental supports for behavior conducive to health." Much that is to be found in this theme issue derives from this conceptualization of health promotion as all of the means by which healthy behavior may be encouraged.

Often the concept of wellness is considered to be synonymous with disease prevention and health promotion. It is this author's contention, however, that there are important and discernible difference between these three concepts. Disease prevention is defined as efforts aimed at reducing the occurrence and severity of disease, while wellness is described as attitudes and activities which improve the quality of life and expand the potential for higher levels of functioning. Wellness efforts are not motivated by a desire to avoid disease, but rather by a desire to enhance successful existence. Health promotion is viewed as a combination of disease prevention and wellness efforts. Currently, most programs which label themselves as wellness or health promotion aim solely at the prevention of disease. Thus wellness, while often used semantically as a marketing tool or buzz word, is truly a missing component of many health promotion programs. It is suggested that health educators and other health professionals attempt to incorporate a greater wellness orientation within their health promotion programs by exploring and documenting the wellness benefits of various health promotion objectives. Special attention should be paid to determinants of wellness throughout the lifecycle, as well as to interventions beyond the scope fo individual behavior change.

Social learning theory has had a major impact on the recent development of adolescent health promotion programs. By expanding traditional, knowledge-based curricula to address social, psychological and environmental factors associated with the development of health-related actions, the effectiveness of health education programs can be increased. Rigorous evaluations of these innovative programs provide a research base for the development of a comprehensive health promotion model. This paper describes recent developments in the psychosocial approach to adolescent health behavior. The paper concludes with a proposed definition of health promotion and a comprehensive model of health promotion derived from both theory and research. This review underscores the importance of theory for: contributing to the development of progressively more sophisticated health education programs deriving meaningful conclusions from the evaluation of these programs.

A common goal of mental health professionals is to increase the degree of integration of mental health within the primary health care system. Achieving interpretation of mental health within the larger health care system requires teaching diagnostic and treatment skills, as well as a value orientation which ascribes greater importance to mental health and mental health problems. Teaching a new value orientation is best introduced early in one's educational career rather than postponing such intervention until post-graduate medical residency programs. Results of a survey are presented which indicate the variable mental health content included in undergraduate health related programs. The goal of greater integration between mental health and health can clearly be furthered by beginning to teach this critical value orientation in undergraduate health programs.

The information on health care in the USSR available in the literature is limited and the requests of U.S. tourists to visit Soviet hospitals are frequently denied by Intourist, the government tourist bureau. However, we were able to visit several facilities which are part of the Soviet sanatorium system. Here a naturalistic approach to holistic health is clearly evident. Healing Matsesta spring water baths, beach sun, Black Sea swimming, rest and recreation, in a resort setting, offer one approach to health restoration and/or maintenance and illness prevention.

Recent developments in the field of breast reconstruction have now made it possible to reconstruct virtually any mastectomy patient. The knowledge that this is possible can provide tremendous reassurance for a patient facing mastectomy, encouragement for the woman who has discovered a breast lump, and most importantly, vital emotional support for persuading women to perform breast self examination. As such, the field of breast reconstruction presents health educators with a tremendous opportunity to make a significant impact upon the survival statistics of breast cancer in this country. The challenge is there for all of us, and only by a continuing cooperative effort on the part of all those involved in women's health education can we hope to improve the outlook for the breast cancer patient in this country.

Today, a woman with breast cancer has many treatment alternatives. To undertake the decision-making process, she must be provided with information, support, and a health care network capable of meeting her needs. Surgeons are now faced with new roles in the decision making process as the choice is no longer theirs. They must be educated not only to keep up with the technical aspects of breast surgery, but also to modify their behavior in order to become more flexible and open-minded.

A fundamental paradigm shift is occurring in the health care field that gives new hope to the challenge of reducing health care costs through the promotion of wellness. The authors of this paper present the present components of the new paradigm, the historical aspects of the paradigm shift, and examples of the paradigm shift in community health. The authors have also attempted to suggest ways in which individuals and communities can participate in the new paradigm.

A survey of the training needs of professionals who work with the adolescent population was undertaken in the state of Colorado in December 1980. Over 550 questionnaires were sent to nurses, social workers, mental health personnel and others in rural and urban areas, and 46% of these forms were returned. The eight highest ranked topics were: depression and suicide, family disruption, sexuality, psychosocial growth and development, interviewing, incest, emotional problems, and substance abuse. There was remarkable concurrence in rating these subjects by frequency of choice, by priority, by discipline, and by geographic area. This survey clearly delineates specific topics relevant for continuing education programs for adolescent health care providers.