Health Promotion Process

Health Promotion Process [First Name, Last Name] [Institutional Affiliation] [Date] Health Promotion Process The modern world is full of barriers to good health, such as poor nutrition, harmful products, pollution, unhealthy living conditions, and the stresses of life. These factors, among others, highlight the need for health promotion. The World Health Organization (WHO) defines the term “health promotion” as it appears in the Ottawa Charter (WHO, 2017). The description majorly encompasses empowering individuals and communities to have control over the various aspects that affect their health by providing the necessary information for them to make healthy choices. Purpose Statement This health promotion process paper focuses on a specific health disparity (cancer) and links it to the various determinants of health. Also, the essay applies different health promotion concepts and theory to develop a treatment plan for cancer. Health Disparity Health disparities refer to differences in health and health outcomes that adversely impact specific groups across several dimensions, including their demographic characteristics, socioeconomic rank, and geographical environment. Although literature often views disparities through the three identified dimensions, they can also occur across others, such as an individual’s status of citizenship, disability, sexual identity and orientation, and language (Zanchetta & Poureslami, 2016). Health disparity populations have a substantial difference in the general rate of new cases (incidence), mortality, indisposition, or survival rates (Larson et al. 2018). Although multiple initiatives are already in place to eliminate disparities, recent studies by the CDC reports many groups facing disparity cases, especially among people of color. Cancer and Cancer Disparities According to the CDC (2019), cancer was the second leading cause of death (COD) in the US in 2017 with a reported 599, 108 cases which accounts for 21.3% of total deaths. The disease primarily occurs when body cells begin dividing without stopping while spreading to the surrounding tissues. Although cancer affects all populations in the US, some groups have higher rates of cancer cases and deaths than others (CDC, 2019). For example, reports indicate a more significant occurrence of breast cancer amid women than men. Also, only women contact cervical or ovarian cancer, while only men experience prostate cancer. There is a close connection between these cancer disparities and different determinants of health (ACS, 2019). Determinants of Health Various factors, beyond access to healthcare, shape the health of a population. Examples include unemployment, stress, addiction, food, among others. These determinants do not operate in isolation. They are intricately woven together (Zanchetta & Poureslami, 2016). For example, an individual without education is more likely to be unemployed and therefore suffer poor health outcomes when they age. However, other aspects, such as high levels of unemployment, can explain why a person does not have a job. Here are nine critical determinants of health and how they influence cancer among different populations in the US. The quality of diet is central to health promotion. On the one hand, ...