Introduction to Tactics
Health promotion programs have become the need of the hour. It is important to find out adequate tactics for making society aware of health promotion programs. Tactics include the ability to carry out a sound analysis of the health problem and also finding out multiple factors associated with that problem.
Colonel Gayle has classified health promotion tactics into four categories: health communication, media advocacy, policy, regulatory and environmental actions, and tailored communication. The health promotion tactics are rated according to their effectiveness, reach, acceptability cost, and public support.
Health communication makes health information “common” among all people. It helps to get positive shifts in health-related attitudes of people. Media advocacy refers to the use of mass media as a means of heightening the public’s awareness of a particular health problem and providing individuals with a means to take legitimate action for addressing that problem.
Policy, regulatory and environmental actions will help the implementation of the health promotion program more effectively. Regulatory policies help the community members to have a healthy lifestyle. Environmental intervention affects health promotion programs which include the physical and social environment.
Tailoring is a methodological approach that is gaining considerable interest as a means to deliver health education within the context of managed care and also it offers a clear, unambiguous illustration of how social, psychological, and educational theories are applied in practice.
Objectives of the Program
The present study will throw light on multiple tactics for implementing the health promotion program. It will also study the creative process that will lead to effective health promotion tactics.
Description of Tactics
Health Communication
For creating awareness of health issue problems the audience can be categorized into two; primary (mothers of children 0-4 years, caretakers, community elders, teachers, etc.) and secondary (doctors, supervisors, health workers, etc.). We can use the secondary audience to educate the primary audience as shown in the diagram. Further, we have to make the message clear and use channels like mass media, the internet, organization, etc. for effective implementation. This will help in creating awareness in a wider range of people.
Media advocacy
It will help in creating a good surrounding for health promotion programs thereby promote the effectiveness of their implementation. There will be promoters of health who can educate the manufacturers of illness (manufacturers of tobacco, handgun, alcohol, etc.). In this program, it is necessary to Identify targets that can be divided into three. Primary: city council, mayor, etc, who can make policy changes. Secondary: advocacy groups, professionals who can make a change, and Third: general population.
Policy, regulatory and environmental actions
Establish a basic groundwork by giving awareness to merchants and the public. Try to reduce the advertising which will mislead the health promotion and implement the existing laws by providing economic incentives. Careful documentation of the environmental factors that influence health problems or behavior will be needed. Communities that are badly affected because of the lack of health promotion programs can be used for giving suggestions to the public.
Tailoring
The promotion of reinforced behavior needs careful analysis of the problem. Then it becomes necessary to develop a suitable assessment to measure each person’s status. Tailored message creation should suit individuals and the environment. Develop a database, based on that, and try to store the responses of each user. This data can be translated into the individualized weekly report and mailed to each user with the help of computers.