Public health is a broad area of healthcare, which is aimed at improving the quality of life in a community. According to Stanhope and Lancaster (2020), population-based healthcare lies in the foundation of overall well-being. Public health services mainly include disease prevention and health promotion, and the timely identification of threats and problems may contribute to maintaining the population’s health. One of the main public health problems is that unhealthy lifestyle among populations of different age and gender is the reason for many diseases, such as obesity, cancer, and diabetes (Glasper, 2013). A nurse’s responsibility is to address the importance of preventive measures. For example, a balanced diet, regular exercises, and stress management may help avoid different conditions, from flu to breast cancer (“International Nurses Day 2020: Case study of the week,” 2020). Being closest to communities, nurses play an essential role in providing a basis for the population’s well-being.
It is fair to say that in the modern world, it is difficult to avoid unhealthy habits. People from my community and my colleagues work in offices and lead a sedentary life. A busy schedule does not allow many people to eat regularly and healthily; much time spent in front of a computer screen causes sleep disturbances and related problems. Finally, the high level of stress and anxiety may negatively influence people’s emotional state.
There are multiple strategies of dealing with the global problem of an unhealthy lifestyle. According to the Intervention Wheel, at the system level, collaboration is a common type of intervention (Stanhope & Lancaster, 2020). Medical institutions may establish connections with other organizations focused on specific problems, for example, substance addiction. At the community level, interventions may include social media promotion and patient education. It is also important to understand the cause and the consequence of the current public health problem. Dr. Attia (2013) proved it through an example of obesity, which is presented as a result of insulin resistance. Therefore, people need to be supportive of each other rather than judgmental to solve the problems threatening their physical and mental health.
References
Attia, P. (2013). Is the obesity crisis hiding a bigger problem? TED. Web.
Glasper, A. (2013). The nursing and midwifery contribution to public health. British Journal of Nursing, 22(15), 900–901. Web.
International Nurses Day 2020: Case study of the week(2020). International Council of Nurces. Web.
Stanhope, M., & Lancaster, J. (2020). Public health nursing: Population-centered health care in the community (10th ed.). Elsevier.