HEALTH DEFINED: OBJECTIVES FOR PROMOTION AND PREVENTION

Health is a core concept in society. This concept is modified with qualifiers such as excellent,
good, fair, or poor, based on a variety of factors. These factors may include age, gender, race or
ethnic heritage, comparison group, current health or physical condition, past conditions, social or
economic situation, or the demands of various roles in society. This chapter will discuss health as
a concept and related concepts such as illness, disease, disability, and functioning. Some
motivating factors behind the move toward disease prevention and health promotion in society
will be examined with an introduction to Healthy People 2010. Implementation of these concepts
as actions will also be addressed from ideal and pragmatic standpoints. Research supporting
these concepts and recommendations for further research will he presented.

EXPLORING CONCEPTS OF HEALTH

Newman (1987b, 1995, 2003) states that literature can be classified broadly within two major
paradigms. The first is the wellnessillness continuum, a dichotomized portrayal of health and
illness with many configurations, ranging from high-level wellness to depletion of health
(death). High-level wellness is conceptualized further as a sense of well-being, life satisfaction,
and quality of life. Movement toward the negative end of the continuum includes adaptation to
disease and disability through various levels of functional ability. The wellnessillness
conceptualization was the focus of early research and is consistent with the some of categories
Smith (1983) identified in her philosophical analysis of health. Research based on the paradigm
conforms primarily to scientific methods that seek to control contextual effects, provide the basis
for causal explanations, and predict outcomes (Newman, 1987h, 1995).
The second paradigm characterizes health as a unidirectional development phenomenon of
unitary patterning of the person-environment. The development perspective of health has been
present in the nursing literature since 1970, but it was not identified clearly with health until the
late 1970s and early 1980s. It has been conceptualized as expanding consciousness, pattern or
meaning recognition, personal transformation and, tentatively, self-actualization. This shift
toward a developmental perspective has had clear implications for the way in which health is
conceptualized (Newman, 2003). Although not endorsing the development perspective to the
extent of Rogers (1970) and Reed (1983), Fender, Murdaugh, and Parsons (2002), Kaplan,
Everson, and Lynch (2000), and Grzywacz and Fuqua (2000) state that health is an outcome of
ongoing patterns of person-environment interaction throughout the life span. Research within
this paradigm seeks to address the dynamic whole of the health experience through behavioral
and social mechanisms. Health can be better understood if each person is seen as a part of a
complex, interconnected, biological, and social system. This ecological view is useful to those
who promote health.
People involved in health promotion should consider the meaning of health for themselves and
for others, because a focused definition clarifies their work and enhances the quality of the health
care system. Because the term health is used to describe a number of entities, such as a
philosophy of care (health promotion and health maintenance), a system (health care delivery
system), practices (good health practices), behaviors (health behaviors), costs (health care costs),
and insurance, the reason that confusion continues regarding its use becomes clear. Peoples
experiences with health in all of its entities have also changed over time.
Americans born before 1940 have experienced the greatest changes in how health is defined.
Infectious diseases claimed the lives of many children and young adults; therefore, health was
viewed as the absence of disease. The physician was the primary provider of health care services
in independent practice, with services provided in the private office, The federal government was
just establishing a federal role in working with states to address public health and welfare issues
(Barr, Lee, & Benjamin, 2003).

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As the national economy expanded during and after World War II in the 1940s and 1950s, the
idea of role performance became a focus in industrial research and entered the health care
lexicon. Health became linked to peoples abilities to fulfill their roles in society. Increasingly,
the physician was asked to complete physical examination forms for school, work, military, and
insurance purposes as physician practice became linked more directly to hospital- based services.
The federal government expanded its role through funding for hospital expansion and
establishment of a new U.S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare (USDHEW),
currently the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (USDHHS) (Barr, Lee, &
Benjamin, 2003). There was recognition that a person might recover from a disease, yet might
not be able to fulfill family or work roles because of residual changes from the illness episode.
The work or school environment was viewed as a possible contributor to health or illness.
From the 1960s to the present, there have been incredible changes in the health care delivery
system as federal and state governments have attempted to control spending and health care costs
have escalated (Barr, Lee, & Benjamin, 2003). The growing number of primary care providers,
now attempt to involve individuals and their families in the delivery of care as individual
responsibilities and lifestyle choices have become an important part of care. Health care has
become an interdisciplinary endeavor, even as managed care companies limit the health-
promotion options available under insurance plans. During this time, the idea of adaptation has
had an important influence on the way Americans view health. Health has become linked to the
changing environment to which individuals could react and change rather than becoming a fixed
state. Adaptation fit well with the self-help movement during the 1970s and with the progressive
growth in knowledge from research about disease prevention and health promotion.
There has been a more recent emphasis on the quality of a persons life as a component of health.
Research on self-rated health (Cano et al., 2003; Idler & Benyamini, 1997; Johnson & Wolinsky,
1993) and self-rated function (Greiner, Snowdon, & Greiner, 1996, 1999) indicates that
numerous factors contribute to a persons perception of health. In addition to the ability to
function cognitively and physically (that is, functional health), fulfill social roles, and obtain
health services, health is related to environment, socioeconomic level, race, and geographical
location. Health is also directly linked to how providers perceive the recipients of services and to
the options that providers offer.

Models of Health
Throughout history, society has entertained a variety of concepts of health (David, 2000). Smith
(1983) describes four distinct models of health.
Clinical Model
In the clinical model, the absence of signs and symptoms of disease indicates health. Illness
would be the presence of conspicuous signs and symptoms of disease. People who use this
model of health to guide their use of health care services may not seek preventive health
services, or they may wait until they are very ill to seek care. The clinical model is the
conventional model of the discipline of medicine.
Role Performance Model
In the role performance model, health is indicated by the ability to perform social roles. Role
performance includes work, family, and social roles, with performance based on societal
expectations. Illness would be the failure to perform a persons roles at the level of others in
society. This model is the basis for work and school physical examinations and physician-
excused absences. The sick role, in which people can he excused from performing their social
roles while they are ill, is a vital component of the role performance model.

Adaptive Model
In the adaptive model, the ability to adapt positively to social, mental, and physiological change
is indicative of health. Illness occurs when the person fails to adapt or becomes maladaptive

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toward these changes. As the concept of adaptation has entered other aspects of American
culture, this model of health has become more widely accepted.
Eudaimonistic Model
In the eudaimonistic model, health is indicated by exuberant well-being. Derived from Greek
terminology, this term indicates a model that embodies the interaction and interrelationships
among the physical, social, psychological, and spiritual aspects of life and the environment.
Illness is reflected by a denervation or languishing, a wasting away, or lack of involvement with
life. Although these ideas may appear to be new when compared with the clinical model of
health, aspects of the eudaimonistic model predate the clinical model of health. This model is
also more congruent with integrative modes of therapy, which are used increasingly by people in
the United States and the rest of world.
These ideas of health provide a basis for how people view health and disease and how they view
the roles of physicians, nurses, and other health care providers. For example, in the clinical
model of health, a person may expect to visit a health care provider only when there are obvious
signs of illness. Personal responsibility for health may not be a motivating factor for this
individual, because the provider is responsible for dealing with the health problem and returning
the person to health. Therefore attempts to teach health-promoting activities may not be
effective.
Wellnessillness Continuum
The wellnessillness continuum, as stated earlier, is a dichotomous depiction of the relationship
between the concepts of health and illness. In this paradigm wellness is a positive state in which
incremental increases in health can he made beyond the midpoint (Figure 1-1). These increases
represent improved physical and mental health states. The opposite end of the continuum is
illness, with the possibility of incremental decreases in health beyond the midpoint. This
depiction of the relationship of wellness and illness fits well with the clinical model of health.
High-Level Wellness
From a dichotomous representation of health and illness as opposites, Dunn (1961) developed a
healthillness continuum that would assess a client based on his or her relative health compared
with others and the environment (Figure 1-1). A second dimension, high-level wellness, was
added to the healthillness continuum, in which a matrix of a favorable environment allows
high-level wellness to occur and an unfavorable environment allows low-level wellness to exist.

Figure 1-1 Wellnessiliness continuum with high-level weilness added. Moving from the center to the
right demonstrates movement toward illness. Moving from the center to the left demonstrates movement
toward health. Moving above the line demonstrates movement toward increasing wellness. Moving below
the line demonstrates movement toward decreasing wellness. (Modified from U.S. Department of Health
and Human Services, Public Health Service, 1982.)

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With this addition, it became possible to characterize a persons health status based on the
clinical model of health and other social and environmental parameters. The concept
demonstrates that a person can have a terminal disease and he emotionally prepared for death,
while acting as a support for other people and achieving high-level well- ness. High-level
wellness involves progression toward a higher level of functioning, an open-ended and ever-
expanding future with its challenge of fuller potential, and the integration of the whole being
(Ardell, 2004), This definition of high-level wellness contains ideas similar to those in the
eudaimonistic model of health. Additionally, high- level weilness emphasizes the
interrelationship between the environment and the ability of achieving health on both a personal
and a societal level.

Health Ecology
An evolving view of health recognizes the interconnection among people and their physical and
social environments. Newman (2003) expressed this interconnection within a developmental
framework, and the work of Gordon (1994) applies this interconnection to functional health
patterns as presented in subsequent chapters. Health from an ecological perspective is
multidimensional, extending from the individual into the surrounding community and including
the context within which the person functions. It incorporates a systems approach within which
the actions of one portion of the system affect the functioning of the system as a whole. This
view of health expands on high-level wellness by recognizing that social and environmental
factors can enhance or limit health and healthy behaviors. For example, most people can benefit
from physical activity such as walking. People are more likely to walk in areas where there are
sidewalks or pathways and where they feel safe. Practicioners can work to encourage people to
walk, but they may also need to advocate for safe walking areas and work with others to plan for
people-friendly community development.

Functioning
One of the defining characteristics of life is the ability to function. Similar to the concept of
health, functional health can be characterized as being present or absent, at high level, or at low
level. Functioning is integral to health. Physical, mental, and social levels of function are
reflected in terms of performance and social expectations. Function can also be viewed from an
ecological perspective, as in the example of walking used previously. Loss of function may be a
sign or symptom of a disease. For example, sudden loss of the ability to move an arm or leg may
indicate a stroke. The inability to leave the house may indicate overwhelming fear. In both cases
the loss of function is a sign of disease, a state of ill health. Loss of function is an indication that
the person may need nursing intervention. Research in older adults indicates that decline in
physical function may predict loss of physical function and death (Greiner, Snowdon, & Greiner,
1996).

Health
Health, as defined in this text, is a state of physical, mental, and social functioning that realizes a
persons potential. Health is an individuals responsibility, but it requires collective action to
ensure a society and an environment in which people can act responsibly. The culture and beliefs
of the people can also influence health. This definition is consistent with the World Health
Organization (2004) definition of health as the state of complete physical, mental, and social
well-being and not merely the absence of disease and infirmity. In addition to being measurable
in process and outcomes, this definition is applicable across the life span, particularly for older
adults whose functional abilities may determine needed services.

ILLNESS, DISEASE, AND HEALTH

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It is easy to think of health or wellness as the lack of disease and to consider illness and disease
interchangeable terms. However, health and disease are not simply antonyms, and disease and
illness are not synonyms. Disease may be defined as the failure of a persons adaptive
mechanisms to counteract stimuli and stresses adequately, resulting in functional or structural
disturbances. This definition is an ecological concept of disease, which uses a multifactorial
perspective rather than a search for a single cause. This approach increases the chances of
discovering the various factors that may be susceptible to intervention. Health and disease must
be viewed as inseparable, as variations of development over time. If disease does not exist, then
there is no need to discuss health. Illness is a social construct in which people are in an
imbalanced, unsustainable relationship with their environment and are failing in their ability to
survive and create a higher quality of life. Illness is a response characterized by a mismatch
between a persons needs and the resources available to meet those needs. Additionally, illness
signals to individuals and populations that the present balance is not working. Disease is a
biomedical term indicating the presence of a recognizable health deviation, whereas illness is a
state of being. Illness has social, psychological, and biomedical components. A person can have a
disease without feeling ill (e.g., asymptornatic hypertension). The theory that health and illness
are dynamic patterns that change with time and social circumstances leads to the conclusion that
health assessments must be made frequently during the life cycle. Most health evaluations are
relative and based on a series of perceptions and observations rather than a limited standard of
measurement. Health arises from a finely graded continuum of functional ability and disability,
not from mutually exclusive categories. Health, illness, and disease are neither static nor
stationary. Behind every condition is the phenomenon of almost constant alteration.

PLANNING FOR HEALTH

Prevention of disease in society has always been the focus of public health. However, over the
past 30 years, health promotion has moved to the forefront within the public health sector and
has become a driving force in health care.
A key milestone in promoting health was the advent of Healthy People (USDHEW, Public
Health Service [PHS], 1979), the surgeon generals first report on health promotion and disease
prevention issued during the waning years of the Carter administration. This document identified
five national health goals addressing the reduction of death rates in adults and children and the
reduction of sick days in older adults. Further, the document identified three causes of the major
health issues in the United States as careless habits, pollution of the environment, and permitting
harmful social conditions that destroy health to persist (hunger, poverty, and ignorance),
especially for infants and children.
Healthy People was a call to action and an attempt to set health goals for the United States for
the next 10 years by issuing 226 health objectives. Unfortunately, a change in political leadership
and the spiraling costs of hospital-based health care caused this document to be placed on the
back burner for 7 years. The need to report on progress toward the national objectives led a
larger, renewed effort in the form of The 1990 Health Objectives for the Nation: A Midcourse
Review (USDHHS, PHS, 1986). This midcourse review noted that although many goals were
achievable, the unachieved goals were hindered by current health status, limited progress on risk
reduction, difficulties in data collection, and a lack of public awareness.
Healthy People 2000 (USDHHS, PHS, 1990) and its Mid-Course Review and 1995 Revisions
(USDHHS, PHS, 1996) were landmark documents in that a consortium of people representing
national organizations worked with U.S. Public Health Service officials to create a more global
approach to health. Additionally, a management-by- objectives approach was used to address
each problem area. These two documents became the blueprints for each state as funding for
federal programs became linked to meeting these national health objectives. As the objectives
became more widely implemented, methods for collecting data became formalized, and the data
flowed back into the system to form the revisions set in 1995. The core of these health objectives

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remained; that is, prevention of illness and disease was the foundation for health. Healthy People
2000 set out three broad goals: increase the span of healthy life, reduce health disparities, and
provide access to preventive services for all.
Additionally, the work included 22 specific areas for achievement, with objectives in each area
based on age, health disparities, and health needs. By 1995, progress was made on 70% of these
objectives. However, on 30% of the objectives, movement on goaLs was either in the wrong
direction, had not changed, or could not be determined because the data were insufficient.

HEALTHY PEOPLE 2010

Healthy People 2010 (USDHHS, PHS, 2000) is the latest of the Healthy People documents. This
document sets out 28 specific areas for health improvement in 467 objectives.

Healthy People 2010 Goals

Two goals of Healthy People 2010 are to:
1. Increase quality and years of healthy life
2. Eliminate health disparities
Each goal is important. The first goal addresses the issues of longevity and quality of life.
Increasing the number of years of healthy Life addresses the concern that people are living
longer but with chronic health problems that interfere with the quality of their lives. However,
quality of life is also an issue for people who are unable to achieve long lives. Combining these
two ideas pLaces an emphasis on both longevity and quality of life as areas that need
improvement. The second goal, eliminating health disparities, addresses the growing problems of
access to care; differences in treatment based on race, gender, and ability to pay; and related
issues such as urban versus rural health, insurance coverage, Medicare and Medicaid
reimbursement, and satisfaction with service delivery.
These two goals set out the territory in which health promotion and disease prevention efforts
take place. Research in a variety of areas has indicated clearly that health disparities are linked
directly and indirectly to longevity and quality of life issues. For example, it is known that black
men and women live fewer years than do white men and women, respectively. Research from the
Agency for Health Care Research and Quality demonstrates that black men and women are
provided with less invasive and less expensive interventions for cardiac disease than are white
men and women (Canto, Allison, & Kiefe, 2000). By choosing not to offer reperfusion therapy to
one racial group when it is warranted and offering the same therapy to another group contributes
to the racial disparity in health care in this country and to the shorter life spans of blacks as
compared with that of whites (Multicultural Awareness box).
The Healthy People 2010 focus areas and objectives are the road map for this territory and a
guide for health care research, practice, and communications in a way that should allow the
health care community to measure progress on the broader goals.
The detailed objectives can be found on the Internet at http://www.healthypeople .gov. The 28
specific focus areas are listed alphabetically in Box 1-1. A quick look through these focus areas
provides an indication of the scope of the Healthy People 2010 areas compared with earlier
Healthy People documents. These focus areas span age categories from conception to death and
incorporate prevention, access, treatment, and follow-up at the individual, family, provider, work
site, and community levels. Healthy People 2010 is centered on 10 leading health indicators that
reflect the major public health concerns in the United States and were chosen based on their
ability to motivate action, the availability of data to measure their progress, and their relevance
as broad public health issues (USDHHS, PHS, 2000, p. 11) (Box 1-2). One example of an
objective is presented here for illustration of the scope of this project.

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Objective 22-2. Increase the proportion of adults who engage regularly, preferably daily, in
moderate physical activity for at least 30 minutes per day. This objective directly addresses the
first two leading health indicators, physical activity and weight (obesity). Arguably, other
indicators such as tobacco and substance abuse and mental health are related indirectly to this
objective. A person who smokes or uses drugs regularly has a limited ability to meet this
objective. Nevertheless, physical activity can contribute to mental health through stress reduction
and physical fitness. Access to health care to obtain a complete physical examination before

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starting to exercise and the quality of the work or neighborhood environment available for
exercise can contribute to success or failure of this objective. This objective is related to other
objectives such as nutrition and control of high blood pressure.
Current knowledge about physical activity and specific populations was considered when
creating the Healthy People 2010 objectives. Women, low-income populations, black and
Hispanic peoples, those with disabilities, and those over the age of 75 exercise less than do white
men with moderate to high incomes. These health disparities can influence the number of people
in these groups who develop high cholesterol levels or high blood pressure, which further
increases their risk of heart disease and stroke. Although this objective addresses adults, other
objectives address the need to begin exercise activities at an early age and to encourage young
adults to be actively engaged in exercise. How might this objective be adjusted to the needs of an
older adult population?
Another important feature of Healthy People 2010 is its emphasis on responsibility for
intervention. Individuals hneed to accept responsibility for their lifestyle choices and behaviors,
This emphasis on personal responsibility gives each individual a role in the quality of life and the
length of healthy life each may have.
Health care providers need to be responsible for offering preventive health services and
monitoring behaviors. Unfortunately, many of the incentives for providers are to do tasks and
procedures rather than to counsel and help individuals choose among various behaviors.
Providers need to take the time to discuss behaviors that may improve the quality of life and add
years of life. For example, the addictive nature of tobacco and its effect on the development and
course of a variety of chronic health conditions is now well recognized. Providers should ask
every person about tobacco use and should provide ways to quit smoking, including economic
and social incentives.
Providers also need to look for partnership in the community through which they can better serve
the needs of individuals. Healthy People 2010 emphasizes the efforts of partnerships and
partnership building as essential to health promotion. One approach is to develop and use
community nursing centers (http://www.rncc.org). The Health Promotion Center (HPC) operated
by Fairfield University School of Nursing in Fairfield, Connecticut, is one example. Health
education, screening, and referral services at the HPC work with community organizations to
better meet the health care needs of underserved people. The HPC staff works with senior
housing organizations and senior centers to provide comprehensive cardiovascular screening and
medication review. As an extension of this work, funding was secured for a program called Step
Up to Health, a project to increase physical activity in this population through interactive
planning and consumer ownership of the activities. The project is part of the National Blueprint
Project supported by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (http://www. aginghlueprint.org).
The project is engaging older adults in walking programs, line dancing, gardening, and low-
impact exercise programs, including the People with Arthritis Can Exercise (PACE) program
from the National Arthritis Foundation (hop ://www.arthritis org/eve nts/getinvolved/
ProgramsServices/PACE.asp). Another approach to partnerships is to have providers serve as
active participants on community hoards and advisory committees, which enables them to
become more aware of the service needs in the community and the resources available to help
meet those needs.
Work sites and communities need to become partners in providing opportunities for people to
lead healthy lives through flexible work schedules, work site wellness programs, safe parks, and
exercise facilities. Converting empty lots into community gardens provides beautification of the
area, an opportunity for exercise in caring for the garden, and a source of fresh vegetables.
The faith community is a vital partner in meeting Healthy People 2010 objectives. Faith
communities can cut across economic, social, racial, and gender barriers, making them an
excellent source for sharing information on health promotion and disease prevention. Parish
nurses are becoming increasingly prevalent and they incorporate Healthy People 2010 objectives
into their activities (Berry, 2004).

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Public health officials at all levels are necessary partners in meeting Healthy People 2010
objectives. As part of the core public health functions of assessment, policy development, and
assurance, the U.S. Public Health Service and all state, county, and local health departments need
to collect data, make information available to the public, create policies that support Healthy
People 2010 objectives, and ensure that needed services are available from a competent
workforce.
Healthy People 2010 can form the basis for planning, service delivery, evaluation, and research
in every aspect of the health care system.

Healthy People 2010 Update

In the years following publication of the Healthy People 2010 document, the USDHHS, Public
Health Service, has conducted a series of progress reviews on many of the 28 focus areas. The
up-to-date listing of these reviews can be found at the Healthy People 2010 Web site (http:!!
www.healthy people .gov/data/PROGRVW/ default. htm). The midcourse review of these
objectives is due in 2005.
Progress in many of the focus areas is limited at this time. For example, in the area of access to
quality health services, only small increases were noted in the number of people under 65 with
health insurance. Although the 2010 goal is to have 100% coverage, that of this population in
2001 was 84%, leaving 16% of the under-65 population without insurance. Health disparities
continue in that most health insurance coverage in the United States is linked to employment,
with black and Hispanic populations less likely to have the education and opportunity to work in
jobs with health benefits. There was improvement in the area of difficulty or delay in receiving
needed health care for those without health insurance, and the federal initiative to increase the
number and availability of services through federally qualified health centers should contribute
to reductions in this area. A second example is the area of heart disease and stroke, where
substantial progress was made by 2000. Both heart disease and stroke prevention will require
significant effort to move from the mortality rate of 196 per 100,000 to the 2010 goal of 166 per
100,000 people for heart disease, and from 61 per 100,000 to the 2010 goal of 48 per 100,000
people for stroke. Health disparities remain for blacks, whose rate of mortality due to heart
disease and stroke was 46% and 39% higher, respectively, than the national average in 2000.
Progress in this area may be offset by the increasing age of the U.S. population and the number
of people living with existing disease and risk factors.

CASE STUDY
Refer to the Case Study about Frank Thompson and his family. Read carefully, because some of
the concepts covered thus far are applied in the following sections.

Problem Identification
How many problems does Franks situation present? The answer depends on who is asked and
the persons relationship to Frank. Each point of view focuses on different aspects of Franks life.
His physician, using a clinical model of health, might say that Frank had coronary heart disease
with an acute myocardial infarction, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, chronic bronchitis, and
obesity. Franks problems represent a failure to meet several of the Healthy People 2010
objectives on a personal level. His nurse might add that he paid little attention to his lifestyle,
even after changes were recommended. He continued to overeat, drink too much, smoke, not
exercise, and to live a stressful life. Franks employer saw a man who had potential, but who was
now too disabled to take on new responsibilities and perhaps unable to continue performing his
previous duties. Franks children might feel that he could no longer take them on jaunts or play
with them. His wife, Sada, knew that their plans for educating their children and for travel and
enjoyment might suffer. The human resource personnel who managed Franks health insurance
and pension programs would say that he had an expensive disease, and the state health planner

10
would point out that Franks problem was only one of a growing number of disabling illnesses
that result from preventable causes.
To Frank, the health problems were multidimensional. His initial fear of dying, pain,
dependence, and frustration decreased as he began to feel better, but his realization that he might
never be able to achieve his dreams for himself and his family haunted him. Although
theoretically in his prime, Frank suddenly saw himself as far older than his years, both in body
and in social achievement. He believed he had reached his limit and that he would never again
have the freedom to choose his future. He and his family needed to evaluate their situation and
make alternative plans based on asset planning. A care plan has been developed for them (Care
Plan box).
Planning Interventions
Rather than emphasizing chronic health issues and related problems, the nurse can begin with
asset planning within the family. Asset planning is an approach that, given the realities of the
present, helps the family and their providers focus on the building blocks for the future. It
focuses on the assets or strengths of the individual, the family, and the community, applying
those assets to improve or maintain the level of functioning.
Franks physician and nurse can begin with Franks survival of his first myocardial infarction.
The coronary damage resulting from this event becomes the baseline for determining change in
the lives of Frank and his family.

Earlier, Franks physician had taken a broader time perspective when he advised Frank to cut
down on smoking, which was contributing to both his bronchitis and his hypertension, and to
change his high-fat diet and sedentary habits, which contributed to his weight problem and
aggravated his high blood pressure. These lifestyle changes now become tools for Franks

11
recovery and for change within his family. His cardiac event becomes a risk factor for heart
disease in the lives of his children.
Looking at the immediate future, Franks employer saw the effect of the event on Franks
position within the company. Frank would have a long recovery that could be successful if he
adhered to his cardiac rehabilitation program. Asset planning at this level meant examining how
to move Frank back into his work role without further jeopardizing his health. Frank and Sada
also needed to examine if he could continue in this position, given its potential effect on his
health.
Frank and his family used a broader perspective than the medical personnel or the
corporation. They knew that to achieve the familys economic and educational goals and still
spend time together, they made decisions that ultimately affected Franks health. Similar to many
Americans, they had been willing to live with Franks job pressures and stressful lifestyle. The
family members were aware of their impoverished roots and had no wish to go back to them.
However, they also recognized that the strength of their family, their ability to work together to
achieve goals, and their faith were assets that were missing in other families they knew.
Franks social network of friends, relatives, and church members became an additional asset.
They helped the family through the difficult initial weeks at home by providing meals, taking
care of the yard work and laundry, and providing companionship so that Sada could shop and
have time alone. As Frank recovered, they provided support for the social and lifestyle changes
that Frank and his family needed to make.
The visiting nurse played a vital role in Franks rec9very. As the physician continued to
monitor Franks ,ardiac status, the visiting nurse began the long process of helping Frank change
his habits. He had stopped smoking while in the hospital, but with more free time than usual, he
was craving cigarettes again. Using an asset planning approach and Gordons functional health
patterns (1994), the visiting nurse identified the changes that Frank needed to make to decrease
the risk of a second heart attack. A plan was developed to help him begin to take control of his
life through behavior changes. These changes included relaxation techniques, diet modification,
smoking cessation, and mild chair exercises. The support of the family was enlisted to reinforce
the changes Frank was willing to make. His employer was contacted and agreed to a plan
enabling Frank to work from home using a computer as the office became a nonsmoking
workplace. Frank became an asset to the workplace, serving as a spokesperson for the benefits of
lifestyle change. He was enlisted to talk with other employees about stress management and
smoking cessation based on his personal experiences.
Health planners and public health officials used the broadest perspective in asset planning
by viewing Frank as an example of a person whose potential shifted as a result of a preventable,
disabling illness. The planners looked to public and private community patterns and policies that
increase healthful habits and living conditions. Work schedules and work load; stress and safety
in work environments; affirmative action programs for jobs and wages; availability of public
transportation systems, recreational facilities, and economically accessible housing; farm price
subsidies for food and tobacco crops that affect buying patterns; and excise taxes and regulation
of health-damaging drugs such as alcohol and nicotine are all taken into consideration
(Grzywacz & Fuqua, 2000). The asset planning approach emphasizes the positive actions that
can be made to minimize the effects of Franks illness and related diseases.

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13
What Was the Actual Cause of Franks Problem?
It is not possible to separate one cause from another, because causes are not single factors. In
Franks case the sources of illness were found in the many interrelationships in his life.
Attempting to treat or change each factor as a separate entity can have a limited effect on the
improvement of overall health. Franks health problems were numerous. In addition to a poor
diet, weight gain, lack of exercise, and smoking, his hyperlipidemia, an adaptive biological
response to the pressures in his life, could not sustain him indefinitely. It eventually clogged his
coronary vessels, becoming maladaptive. His hypertension, resulting from his diet and time-
constrained lifestyle, was also a biological attempt to adjust to a situation that contributed to an
imbalance between his personal resources and the demands of his family and the economic
world. Franks smoking was a psychosocial means to help him relieve some of the emotional
pressures. It may have served this short-term purpose, but only at a silently rising cost to his
health. Cigarette use by people who have hypertension or high serum cholesterol levels
multiplies their risk of coronary heart disease (Izzo & Black, 2003).

Evaluation of the Situation

The health status of an individual or population depends on a sustainable balance of the complex
responses between internal (physiological and psychological) and external (social and
environmental) factors. Health was conceived initially as a biological state, with genetic
endowment as the starting point. However, health involves psychological and social aspects and
is interpreted within the context of the immediate environment.
The interconnections between biophysical, psychological, and environmental causes and
consequences did not end with Franks heart attack. His heart attack was only the most dramatic
sign that health-damaging responses outweighed health-promoting ones. The tip of the iceberg
analogy is used frequently to illustrate the importance of identifying individuals with subclinical
symptoms. High blood lipid levels, high blood pressure, obesity, smoking, and persistent
worrying were no less important than the infarction in shaping the status of Franks health. To
repair the damage to Franks heart without changing his lifestyle, habits, and work environment
would buy only a brief amount of time before further damage would occur.
The infarction and resulting disability also permanently reshaped Franks environment. After a
few months of working full time, Frank realized that he needed to find a less stressful job. He
recognized that his sales administration skills were an asset and began interviewing in the
nonprofit sector. Ultimately, he landed a job at half his previous salary, but with excellent
benefits and a flexible work environment. His reduced income meant that his childrens
educational opportunities were more limited than they were before his heart attack, hut his
family responded by asking for tuition support from community organizations. Frank found that
his contacts in both the corporate and the nonprofit sectors increased his value to his new
employer. Franks entire life, internal and external, had changed. He had learned to adapt to his
health problems and had developed a more eudaimonistic approach to health and life.
Franks situation illustrates how causes and effects in life and health tend to merge into constant,
inseparable interconnections between individuals and their worlds. A persons health status is a
reflection of a web of relationships that characterize that persons life. Health is not an
achievement or a prize, but a high-quality interaction between a persons inner and outer worlds
that provides the capacity to respond to the demands of the biological, psychological, and
environmental systems of these worlds.
After reviewing the list of Healthy TYeople 2010 focus areas listed in Box 1-1, which ones apply
to the promotion of Franks health? Clearly, the area of heart disease and stroke is most
applicable. The Healthy People 2010 Web site lists a number of objectives that relate directly to
prevention of heart disease, hypertension, and hyperlipidemia, including objectives that relate to
treatment options and training the public to recognize and respond to heart attacks and stroke.

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Based on the information about Frank and his experience, determine what his children should be
taught based on the Healthy People 2010 objectives in this focus area.

LEVELS OF PREVENTION
Prevention, in a narrow sense, means averting the development of disease that will manifest in
the future. In a broad sense prevention consists of all measures, including definitive therapy, that
limit disease progression. Leavell and Clark (1965) defined three levels of prevention: primary,
secondary, and tertiary (Figure 1-2). Although the levels of prevention are related to the natural
history of disease, they can be used to prevent disease and provide nurses with starting points in
making effective, positive changes in the health status of their clients. Within the three levels of
prevention, there are five steps. These steps include:
1. Health promotion (primary prevention)
2. Specific protection (primary prevention)
3. Early diagnosis and prompt treatment (secondary prevention)
4. Disability limitation (secondary prevention)
5. Restoration and rehabilitation (tertiary prevention)
Some confusion exists in the interpretation of these concepts; therefore, a consistent
understanding of primary, secondary, and tertiary prevention is essential. The levels of
prevention operate on a continuum hut may overlap in practice. The nurse must clearly
understand the goals of each level to intervene effectively in keeping people
healthy.
Primary Prevention
Primary prevention precedes disease or dysfunction. However, primary prevention is therapeutic
in that it includes health as beneficial to well-being, it uses therapeutic treatments and, as a
process or behavior toward enhancing health, it involves symptom identification when teaching
stress-reduction techniques. Primary prevention intervention includes health promotion, such as
health education about risk factors for heart disease, and specific protection, such as
immunization against hepatitis B. Its purpose is to decrease the vulnerability of the individual or
population to disease or dysfunction. Interventions at this level encourage individuals and groups
to become more aware of the means of improving health and the things they can do at the
primary preventive health level and the optimal health level.
People are taught to use appropriate primary preventive measures. However, primary
prevention can also be viewed as advocating for health policies that promote the health of the
community and electing public officials who will enact legislation that protects the health of the
publica social and ecological role.

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Health Promotion
Health promotion is a relatively new field; therefore, its definitions vary. ODonnell (1987) has
defined health promotion as the science and art of helping people change their lifestyle to move
toward a state of optimal health (p. 4). Kreuter and Devore propose a more complex definition
in a paper commissioned by the U.S. Public Health Service. They state that health promotion is
the process of advocating health in order to enhance the probability that personal (individual,
family, and community), private (professional and business), and public (federal, state, and local
government) support of positive health practices will become a societal norm (Kreuter &
Devore, 1980, p. 26).

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The theoretical underpinnings for health promotion have evolved since the early l980s. Most of
these theories are derived from the social sciences and have been researched extensively. These
theories include the theory of reasoned action by Ajzen and Fishbein (1980), theories of behavior
by Bandura (1976, 1999), stages of change theories by Prochaska (Nigg et a!., 1999), the health
belief model by Rosenstock (Janz, Champion, & Strecher, 2002), and Penders health promotion
model (Pender, Murdaugh, & Parsons, 2002). Internet searches on each of these theories will
provide numerous sites where more detailed information is available. Of particular interest to
nurses are the most recent works by Bandura (1999) on self-efficacy and Pender, Murdaugh, and
Parsons (2002) on the health promotion model.
Health promotion goes beyond providing information. It is also proactive decision
making at lljevels of society. A few of the strategies that have been identified within this
decision-making process are screening, self-care of minor illness, readiness for emergencies,
successful management of chronic disease, environmental changes to enhance positive
behaviors, and health-enhancing policies within an organizational setting (Folding, 1988). These
ideals are reflected in the Healthy People 2010 objectives. Health promotion holds the best
promise for lower-cost methods of limiting the constant increase in health care costs and for
empowering people to be responsible for the aspects of their lives that can enhance well-being.
Based on the significance of health-promotion activities within the health care system, efforts
must be made to identify the determinants of health, identify relevant health-promotion
strategies, and delineate issues relevant to social justice and access to care. Individuals, families,
and communities must be active participants in this process so that the actions taken are socially
relevant and economically feasible.
Health-promotion efforts, unlike those specific efforts directed toward protection from
certain diseases, focus on maintaining or improving the general health of individuals, families,
and communities (Health Teaching box). These activities are carried out at the public level (e.g.,
government programs promoting adequate housing), at the community level (e.g., Habitat for
Humanity), and at the personal level (e.g., voting for improved low-income housing). Nursing
interventions are directed toward developing peoples resources to maintain or enhance their
wellbeing, a form of asset-based planning.

Overweight and obesity are major concerns in public health, because they contribute to other
health problems such as high cholesterol, high blood pressure, diabetes mellitus, heart disease,
functional limitations, and disability. As part of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institutes
(NHLBI) Obesity Education Initiative, nurses have an important role to play in health education
related to obesity prevention and control. The complete guide can be retrieved from
http://www.nhl bi.nih.gov/guidelines/obesity/prctgd_b.pdf.
Assessment:
Nurses need to be able to explain body mass index and why it is the preferred method of
determining overweight and obesity in adults. They need to understand the methods of data
collection and measurement of height and weight, as well as waist circumference, risk factors,
and co-morbidities. Nurses need to develop skill in determining weight loss readiness and
motivation in their clients. Management of Care:
Nurses should know best practices in weight management and weight loss. Fad diets, dietary
supplements, and weight loss pills may be inappropriate for most people, and formal weight loss
programs may be too expensive for low-income and moderate-income families. Use
recommended diets that restrict caloric intake, set activity goals with your clients, encourage
clients to keep a weekly food and activity diary and review with the client, and provide the client

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with information on diet and activity. Be sure to record client goals and the treatment plan,
including a health education plan.

Be Prepared to Explain Therapies:

Nurses should become knowledgeable about current treatment options and their success rates.
Holistic approaches are needed, because food behaviors are influenced by many factors. Listen
to the clients stories about food and its role in their lives. Therapies should fit the individuals
goals and should lead to lifestyle change.
Two strategies of health promotion involve the individual and may be either passive or active, In
passive strategies the individual is an inactive participant or recipient. Examples of passive
strategies include: (1) public health efforts to maintain clean water and sanitary sewage systems
to decrease infectious disease rates and improve health and (2) efforts to introduce vitamin D
into all milk to ensure that children will not be at high risk for rickets when there is little
sunlight. These passive strategies must be used to promote the health of the public when
individual compliance is low.
Active strategies depend on the individual becoming personally involved in adopting a program
of health promotion. Two examples of lifestyle change are daily exercise as part of a physical
fitness plan and a stress-management program as part of daily living. A combination of active
and passive strategies is best for making an individual healthier. Reexamine the Case Study to
determine when Frank could have incorporated some of these strategies to decrease his risk of
heart disease.
Some passive strategies are included, but they are presented with the implicit belief that each
individual must take responsibility for improving health. It is undeniable that passive strategies
also have a valuable role, but they must be used within a context of encouraging and teaching
individuals to assume more responsibility for their health.
Although health promotion would seem to be a practical and effective mode of health care, the
major portion of health care delivery is geared toward responding to acute and chronic disease.
Preventing or delaying the onset of chronic disease and adding new dimensions to the quality of
life are not as easy to implement, because they take time to implement and evaluate and require
personal action. These actions are more closely associated with everyday living and the lifestyles
adopted by individuals, families, communities, and nations. Habits such as eating, resting,
exercising, and handling anxieties appear to be transmitted from parent to child and from social
group to social group as part of a cultural, not a genetic, heritage. These activities may be taught
in subtle ways, but they influence behavior and have as much of an influence on health as does
genetic inheritance. Although the public may not appreciate the causal relationships between
behavior and health, it should be apparent to health professionals. Arguably, the concept of risk is
the most basic of all health concepts, because health promotion and disease protection are based
on this concept.
Health-promotion strategies have the potential of enhancing the quality of life from birth to
death. For example, good nutrition is adjusted to various developmental phases in life to account
for rapid growth and development during infancy and early childhood, physiological changes
associated with adolescence, extra demands during pregnancy, and the many changes occurring
in older adults. Good nutrition is known to enhance immune system function, enabling
individuals to fight off infections that could lead to disabling illnesses. Other individual activities
are adapted to the persons needs for optimal personality development at all ages. As seen in Unit
Four, much can be done on a personal or group basis, through counseling and properly directed
parent education, to provide the environmental requirements for the proper personality
development of children. Community participation is also an important factor in promoting
individual, family, and group health (see Chapters 7 and 8).
Personal health promotion is usually provided through health education (see Chapter 10). As an
important function of physicians, and allied health professionals, health education is principally
concerned with eliciting useful changes in human behavior. The goal is the inculcation of a sense

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of responsibility for an individuals own health and a shared sense of responsilility for avoiding
injury to the health of others. This objective implies the encouragement of child-rearing practices
that foster normal growth and development (personal, social, and physical). Health education
nurtures health-promoting habits, values, and attitudes that must be learned through practice.
These must be reinforced through systematic instruction in hygiene, bodily function, physical
fitness, and use of leisure time. Another goal is to understand the appropriate use of health
services. For example, a semiannual visit to a dentist may teach a child better oral health habits
and to visit the dentist regularly, although this is not the primary purpose of the visit. Parents,
teachers, and caregivers play a vital role in health education. In addition to teaching individuals,
nurses need to develop skills in group teaching and in working within community organizations.
Research clearly shows an increase in longevity, a decrease in early mortality and morbidity, and
an improvement in the quality of life for individuals who have been involved in health-
promotion activities such as physical activity and avoidance of smoking. It must be emphasized
that health promotion requires lifestyle change (Nigg, et al, 1999). Once a lifestyle change has
been adopted, vigilance is needed to ensure that it is maintained and modified to fit
developmental and environmental changes.
Empirical data linking risk factors, health-promotion activities, and outcomes are sufficient to
drive the development of the Healthy People 2010 objectives and to be incorporated into quality
improvement measures in managed care. One of the challenges posed in Healthy People 2010 is
the development of measurable outcome objectives that are based on more realistic economic
models.

Specific Protection
This aspect of primary prevention focuses on protecting people from disease by providing
immunizations and reducing exposure to occupational hazards, carcinogens, and other
environmental health risks. Primary prevention intervention is considered health protection,
because it emphasizes shielding or defending the body (or the public) from injury. Implementing
nursing interventions that prevent a specific health problem may seem easier than promoting
well-being among individuals, groups, or communities, because the variables are delineated
more clearly in prevention than in promotion and the potential influences are less diverse. Two
examples may help demonstrate these differences.
Immunization for influenza is quite popular and has become a regular activity for older adults
each autumn. Nurses participate in this specific protection role by giving the influenza injections
in clinics and offices.
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 Creating nut-free schools to protect hypersensitive children from life-threatening allergic
reactions to peanut products have largely been the result of grassroots parent organizations
working with formal community organizations to adopt policies that protect the health of these
children.

Secondary Prevention
Although primary prevention measures have decreased the hazards of chronic diseases such as
cardiovascular disease, conditions that preclude a healthy quality of life are still prevalent.
Secondary prevention ranges from providing screening activities and treating early stages of
disease to limiting disability by averting or delaying the consequences of advanced disease.
Screening is secondary prevention, because the principal goal is to identify individuals in an
early, detectable stage of the disease process. However, screening provides an excellent
opportunity to offer health teaching as a primary preventive measure. Screening activities have
become an important aspect in the control of chronic diseases such as heart disease, stroke, and
colorectal cancer. Additionally, screening activities provide early diagnosis and treatment of
nutritional, behavioral, and other related problems. Nurses play an important role in screening
activities, because they can provide clinical skills and educationally sound health information
during the process.
Delayed recognition of disease results in the need to limit future disability in late secondary
prevention. Limiting disability is a vital role for nursing, because preventive measures are
primarily therapeutic and are aimed at arresting the disease and preventing further complications.
The paradox here is that health education and disease prevention activities are similar to those
used in primary prevention, but applied to a person or population with existing disease.
Modifications to the teaching plan must be made based on the individuals current health status
and ability to modify behavior, In the Case Study, Frank needed secondary prevention after his
heart attack. The lifestyle changes needed to prevent a second heart attack were similar to the
steps he could have taken to prevent his initial heart attack, but wirh a recognition that his
coronary status was now coin- promised. As a result, exercise had to be increased gradually as
part of a cardiac rehabilitation program, and diet modifications had to be made with support from
a registered dietitian to ensure adequate nutrition and weight loss.

Tertiary Prevention
Tertiary prevention occurs when a defect or disability is permanent and irreversible. The process
involves minimizing the effects of disease and disability by surveillance and maintenance
activities aimed at preventing complications and deterioration. Tertiary prevention focuses on
rehabilitation to help people attain and retain an optimal level of functioning regardless of the
disabling condition. The objective is to return the affected individual to a useful place in society,
maximize remaining capacities, or both. The responsibility of the health specialist is to ensure
that people with disabilities receive services that enable them to live and work according to the
resources that are still available to them. When a person has a stroke, rehabilitating this
individual to the highest level of functioning and teaching lifestyle change to prevent future
strokes are examples of tertiary prevention.

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IMPROVING PROSPECTS FOR HEALTH
Population Effects
Cultural and socioeconomic changes within the population unequivocally influence lay concepts
of health and health promotion. In some areas of the United States the Hispanic population is
larger than any other group. By the year 2050, it is predicted that most Americans will not be of
white European descent. Taken as a portent for future health- promotion strategies, these
predictions about the population indicate that current knowledge about and approaches to health
promotion may not meet the needs of the future American population (see Chapter 2).
In addition to changes in the ethnic and racial distribution within the population, the projected
changes in age distribution will affect health-promotion practice. Considerable growth is
expected in the proportion of the population that is 25 years and older. For example, the post
World War II baby boom will increase the number of people in the 65-and-older age group
between the years 2010 and 2030. Although there was a drop in the birth rate after 1960, this
decrease has been offset by an increase in immigration, both legal and illegal. More restrictive
immigration rules related to the Bush administration Homeland Security Act have begun to limit

21
legal immigration since 2002 (U.S. Department of Homeland Security, 2003). Analysis of these
population trends and projections helps health professionals determine changing needs.
Additionally, analysis of the social environment is necessary for social policy concerning health.

SHIFTING PROBLEMS
Provision of personal health services must be informed by environmental health. Environmental
pollution is a complex and increasingly hazardous problem. Diseases related to industry and
technologies, including asthma and trauma, have become important threats to health.
The physical and psychological stresses of a rapidly changing and fast-paced society present
daily problems, such as economic pressures and poor health habits. Obesity, partly attributed to a
lack of exercise and increasing food portion size, is a growing health issue. Ingestion of
potentially toxic, nonnutritious, high-fat foods is another factor contributing to poor health (see
Chapter 11). Abuse of tobacco, drugs, and alcohol also negatively affects health.
The emphasis on treating disease by applying complex technology is not only costly, but it also
contributes minimally to the improvement of health. An orientation toward illness clearly focuses
on the effects rather than the causes of disease.
A substantial change in weliness patterns is occurring. Infectious and acute diseases were the
major causes of death in the early part of the twentieth century, whereas chronic conditions, heart
disease, cerebrovascular accident (stroke), and cancer are the major causes today. Diagnosis and
treatment of disease, which were highly successful in the past, are not the answer for todays
needs, which are closely related to and affected by biochemical make-up, environment, and
lifestyle.

MOVING TOWARD SOLUTIONS

Solutions are neither simple nor easy, but they can be focused in two major directions: individual
involvement and government involvement. The first direction concentrates on actions of the
individual, especially actions related to lifestyle across the life span. The learning and the
inherent changes that are involved require the adoption of a new set of skills by people who will
need the assistance of nurses to make those changes. Approximately one fifth of the population is
faced with the problem of getting the basic necessities of food and shelter. The other four fifths,
whose basic necessities have been met, must overcome problems that result from affluence.
Motivational factors play a large role in influencing attitudinal change. As discussed in Chapter
10, programs for health promotion and health education are only part of the answer. Financial
incentives for prevention may be another motivating factor, and health advocacy by professionals
in the health field is critical. Additionally, private and public action at all levels is needed to
reduce social and environmental health hazards. Toxic agents in the environment such as
particles from diesel emissions and social conditions such as school overcrowding can present
health hazards that may not be detected for years; therefore, it is necessary for individuals and
government to play a role.
Legislation and financing that relate to primary prevention are discussed in Chapter 3.
Government activity, in the form of legislation, is increasing in this area. For example, bicycle
safety, seat belts, and a graduated tax on cigarettes are areas for governmental intervention.
Health ecology and planning are important areas for government involve- merit in the future.
Redirection of the existing health care delivery system, putting more emphasis on primary
prevention, is probably the most difficult and the most far- reaching goal; however, an emphasis
on a wellness system is necessary to improve the health of the U.S. population.

SUMMARY
The way individuals define health and health problems is important, because definitions
influence attempts to improve health and care delivery. In the Case Study, Frank Thompsons
health was affected by obvious, immediate, and personal factors, such as his diet and
employment pressures. Nevertheless, his problems had their roots in the social and economic

22
conditions of his parents; in his own early history of illness, education, and work; and in his and
his familys hopes and aspirations. His physician, who defined Franks problem in immediate
biomedical terms, used the tools of personal services to help repair the short-term effects of his
heart attack. Public health planners, who saw Franks problem on a longer-term population basis,
sought policy solutions to the problem of cardiovascular disease.
The view taken in this text is such that a broad and longer-term perspective of health can
guide toward promoting health more effectively, even as nurses deal with individual problems on
a day-to-day basis. Health is a sustainable balance between internal and external forces. Health
allows people to move through life free from the constraints of illness and allows healing to take
place.
Illness represents an imbalance that human choices (intertwined social, political, spiritual,
professional, and personal) create. In the United States, communities may yet have time to slow
the onslaught of chronic disability and shift the direction, slow the pace, and humanize the scope
of economic and social life.
To shift directions in todays health care patterns may be possible only when health
professionals do what is expected of them as leaders in the care of health: to work with others
through open processes; to provide leadership in finding the vision and the path; and to inform,
educate, and reeducate themselves, their colleagues, the media, and the general public using
research findings and evidence-based practice methods. Web Site Resource 1A presents 21
competencies for health professionals in the twenty-first century developed by the Pew Health
Professions Commission.
The responsibility of health professionals today calls for seeing the health problem in new
ways and helping others to do the same. Responsibility means developing new roles and looking
at the problem through others eyes, including the eyes of individuals, the public, other
professionals, and other nations. Responsibility also means evaluating the social and individual
consequences, the long-term and short-term effects, and the public and private interests that are
involved when deciding on the set of tools to use in the care of health.

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