Health and Health Promotion Theory

This assignment takes the form of a report. This allows for you to use headings to support your presentation. Please use Arial font 12 for text, and font 14 for headings. Please ensure that all evidence is cited and referenced according to UHI referencing style. The word allowance is 1500 words (10% leeway).

Please read the following extract from The Scottish Government (2018:01) from ‘A Healthier Future – Scotland’s Diet & Healthy Weight Delivery Plan’:

“Looking after ourselves and the next generation is vital to our nation’s health and our ability to flourish as individuals. Yet far too many people in Scotland face serious risks to their health associated with poor diet and unhealthy weight. We have the highest overweight and obesity levels of any UK nation – nor do we compare well with the majority of our counterparts in the developed world. This situation is unacceptable – not least because it’s largely avoidable. Change is needed.”

Reference:

Scottish Government (2018) A Healthier Future – Scotland’s Diet & Healthy Weight Delivery Plan [online] Available at < https://www.gov.scot/binaries/content/documents/govscot/publications/strategy-plan/2018/07/healthier-future-scotlands-diet-healthy-weight-delivery-plan/documents/00537708-pdf/00537708-pdf/govscot%3Adocument/00537708.pdf > [22 March 2021]

Assignment:

Discuss the challenges for health promoters working to improve the diet, and therefore health, of people in Scotland. You may choose to focus on one particular aspect of diet if you wish (for example: intake of sugar; fast foods; saturated fat consumption; age group preferences and habits) or you can explore this subject more widely and look at diet as a whole. Your discussion should include factors determining health status and you must draw on health theory and health promotion theory to support your argument.

Please also identify and justify what you consider to be the key skills required for health promotion workers in your chosen area of health promotion and the Scottish diet. Please draw on Scottish health promoting initiatives in this area to assist your discussion. Consider health promotion theory in relation to chosen initiatives.

Report Guidelines

Points to consider:

• The presentation, structure, spelling, grammar and referencing should be appropriate for a level 8 assignment.

• It is necessary to be aware throughout the report that the subject of focus is health promotion and the health promoter.

• Explain clearly all concepts addressed within your answer.

• It is generally good practice to set the scene for your response. This may include any information relevant to the age group and the topic if you choose to use one. Consider whether you need statistical information to set the scene effectively.

• It is also necessary to set the theoretical scene for the response to provide a strong response. You should consider health and health promotion theory (definitions, approaches, models) to provide a framework for your argument.

• You might like to consider agents and agencies in your response – and the potential for challenges in this area.

• You must aim for a critical discussion to include a range of different aspects that could be considered challenges.

Suggested structure:

Contents Page: A numbered list of all the sections of the report (not included in word count)

Introduction: This should introduce the concept of health promotion and the topic of your chosen focus. This should set the scene for the report.

Literature review: A referenced summary of the published research about your chosen topic. The heading for this can be pertinent to your choice of focus.

Health & health promotion theory: Discuss the theories relevant to your chosen health promotion issue and draw on current Scottish health promoting initiatives to inform your discussion.

Key Skills required: In light of the topic and initiative chosen, discuss what you consider to be the key skills required for the health promoter working in this area.

Conclusions and recommendations: What conclusions can be drawn from the findings within this report? What recommendations could be made on how to improve the situation?

References: Please cite and reference using the UHI Harvard style.