Health Promotion in Aotearoa New Zealand

Health Promotion in Aotearoa New Zealand

• Hauora is a Māori concept that emphasizes a holistic view of health, represented by four key dimensions: physical, mental, spiritual, and family wellbeing.
• The upstream-downstream concept in health promotion highlights the different levels of intervention. Upstream interventions target the root causes of health issues (e.g., social, economic, and environmental factors), whereas downstream interventions address the problems after they arise.

Health Promotion Planning and Evaluation

• The health promotion planning and evaluation cycle comprises five stages:
  • Needs assessment
  • Goal setting
  • Planning
  • Implementation
  • Evaluation
• It helps ensure that interventions address the specific health needs of the community and are effective in achieving their goals.

Importance of Relationships in Health Promotion

• Whakawhanaungatanga (building relationships) is crucial in health promotion, especially in Māori and Pacific communities, because it fosters trust, engagement, and collaboration, enhancing the effectiveness of health initiatives.

Community Development Approach in Health Promotion

• Advantages:
  • Empowers communities to take ownership of their health.
  • Tailors interventions to specific local needs.
  • Enhances community capacity and social cohesion.
• Disadvantages:
  • Requires significant time and resources.
  • Outcomes may be difficult to measure.
  • Community priorities may conflict with public health goals.

Health Equity in Health Promotion

• Incorporating health equity in planning ensures everyone has a fair opportunity to achieve their highest level of health. It involves:
  • Prioritizing interventions for disadvantaged groups.
  • Reducing barriers to accessing health services.
  • Tailoring messages to be culturally relevant.

Behavior Change Theory in Health Promotion

• The Health Belief Model (HBM) posits that people are more likely to engage in healthy behaviors if they perceive a health threat, believe the benefits outweigh the barriers, and feel confident in their ability to take action.

Ethical Principles of Health Promotion

• Autonomy: Respecting individuals' right to make informed decisions about their health.
• Beneficence: Acting in the best interests of individuals and communities.
• Justice: Ensuring fair and equitable access to health resources.
• Non-maleficence: Avoiding harm in the course of promoting health.

Social Gradient in Health

• The social gradient in health indicates that the poorest individuals have the worst health compared to those higher on the socioeconomic spectrum.
• This global phenomenon is seen across different income levels, reflecting that health inequalities affect everyone.

Determinants of Health

• The determinants of health are a range of factors that influence the health status of individuals and populations.
• Social determinants of health include the conditions in which people are born, grow up, live, work, and age, shaped by broader economic, social, and political forces.
• The Commission on Social Determinants of Health (CSDH) recommends improving daily living conditions, tackling the unequal distribution of resources, and systematically measuring and understanding the problem to address health inequalities.

Explore the foundational concepts of health promotion in Aotearoa, including the Māori concept of Hauora and the upstream-downstream model. Learn about the health promotion planning and evaluation cycle, emphasizing the importance of community needs and relationships in effective health interventions.