Health Promotion Project, Research Paper Example

Introduction

Health promotion is an activity which starts the moment a child is able to understand the importance of good hygiene and how it can aid in preventing pain and distress due to diseases. As the child grows and matures into an adolescent, the capability to understand health related issues increases due to education and experience. Going for medical help to the physician usually involves a post disease scenario when the signs and symptoms of a preexisting disease actually start manifesting. A nurse is a person who is more involved in day to day healthcare advice to most people, especially youngsters, and can serve as a source of information for the prevalent diseases within a particular locale and population. Health promotion within the area of practice of a nurse is one of her primary tasks. The administration of recommended vaccines, promotion of general hygienic measures and warning people about susceptibility to specific seasonal and infectious diseases and the preventive strategies to be employed can be easily communicated through the use of multimedia, information brochures and the internet.

Healthy People, 2010 is an ambitious program initiated by the US government to ensure good health for its citizens, especially in the first decade of the twenty first century. It intends to utilize the present healthcare setup to prepare states and communities to handle the national health programs for disease prevention and control. The program aims to identify the primary public healthcare priorities in US and simultaneously evaluate its objectives by employing measurable techniques for all diseases. It has 28 vital priority areas which cover infectious, lifestyle and metabolic diseases, and community based healthcare priority areas like environmental health and family planning. The program proposes to ensure health for all by removing bias due to economic status and ethnicity. People from all regions, ages, demographic and ethnic backgrounds will be identified at the community level and appropriate modalities developed for their education, awareness and access to medical facilities. The nurse is a vital link in this process. She can disseminate knowledge about pertinent healthcare needs based on the demographic and ethnic profile of the community. Educational campaigns can be carried out to make people aware of the government initiatives on health and how to make the best use of resources at hand.

The success of any health promotion activity depends upon the percolation and awareness of health related knowledge to each and every member within a community. The various steps involved are: identifying a group particularly susceptible to a health condition, bringing representatives of that group on a common platform, creating awareness within the specifically identified demographic group about a particular condition or health issue, providing facilities and material support for adoption and incorporation of health measures in daily life and taking regular feedback for the success of such a program.

Cervical cancer is a preventable disorder and young women need to be made aware of the general precautions to be taken in order to minimize its occurrence. It is the responsibility of the educators and healthcare staff to inculcate hygienic practices and habits in teenagers by making them aware of diseases they should be wary of.

Cervical cancer is caused as a sequel to an initial skin infection with the Human Papillomavirus (HPV). One out of 128 women in the US is at risk of contracting this disease during their lifetime (Gray & Walzer, 2004).  It may be transmitted sexually as well. It is the second most widespread cancer in women worldwide, but can be prevented with proper awareness and regular screening. HPV infection is common in young women but the progression to an invasive cervical stage is a rare occurrence, as the skin infection gets cured spontaneously by immune mechanisms. It is essential that young women should undergo regular Pap smear tests from samples collected from the cervix to monitor for the occurrence of HPV infection within the genital tract. Certain specific types of the HPV virus such as Type 16, 18, 45, 31, 33, 52, 58 and 35 are particularly known to lead to progression of the disease to a cancerous stage (Gray & Walzer, 2004). Ideally screening procedures for young women should start within three years of initiation of sexual activity (Gray & Walzer, 2004). Early detection leads to early treatment which can prevent the spread of disease within the body.

Recent trials with quadrivalent HPV vaccine have shown beneficial effects in the prevention of cervical cancer (Majewski et al, 2009). It is available in US under the brand name ‘Gardasil’ which is recommended for use in females within the age range of 9-16 years. It prevents against four types of HPV infection (Type 6, 11, 16 & 18), two of which are known for causing 70% of cervical cancer infections (www.merck.com). The decision for its use in a particular patient rests with the qualified physician attending the person at risk.

Adolescents are already aware of other vaccines like flu and tetanus shots they might have got during childhood. Their experience with such vaccines can be exploited to make them aware of other vaccines which can prevent viral diseases.  Knowledge about HPV vaccine can be disseminated on this basis through educational campaigns. Initial trials with the vaccine had shown promising results in preventing the occurrence and spread of infection, particularly for strains causing cervical cancer (Majewski et al, 2009). Gardasil was recommended for use in teenage girls by the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) of the United States in 2006 (www.cdc.gov). The age at which it was recommended for use varied between 11-12 years, although it was also advised for young women between 13-26 years (www.cdc.gov). The recommendations were based on the result of successful trials and the propensity for young women to get infected during their sexually active period, which resulted in manifestation as cervical cancer during age 35 years and later. However, girls who were vaccinated showed multiple adverse effects ranging from mild rashes to serious neurological disorders and even death in some cases (Attkison, 2009). This spurred controversies over the overzealous advertisement and recommendation for the vaccine, with protests from parents of girls who had experienced adverse reactions (Parker-Pope, 2008). It was observed that the aluminum adjuvant used in Gardasil may have been the precipitating cause of neurological disorders in clinical trials with the vaccine and aluminum placebo control trials (www.cogforlife.org). The overall result of such controversies was that parents as well as the subjects concerned are confused whether to use the vaccine or not. The risks inherent in vaccination with Gardasil, or that of cervical cancer in the middle ages had to be weighed in order to make a decision.

Conclusion

Health promotion activities inculcate a sense of responsibility in teenagers towards their own body which makes them aware of the risks and precautions to be taken. Every new vaccine comes with a potential for adverse effects which might make it suitable or not for actual use. Pros and cons of using the present HPV vaccine therefore need to be weighed appropriately, considering the statistics of prevalence of cervical cancer within the US population, which is significant. Researchers can exploit the modern tools of molecular biology and pharmaceutics to devise better, more safe variants of the vaccine so that it can be safely recommended for use. Youngsters, especially girls need to take extra precautions during early teens and youth to maintain good general and gynecological hygiene in order to prevent getting infected by the HPV virus. The concerned health authorities should serve to provide facts and figures for safe use of vaccines recommended by them so that one can confidently go ahead with such procedures. Teenagers need to come to a common platform where they are made aware of such controversial vaccines as the HPV vaccine and the flu vaccine whose pros and cons have to be weighed before making a decision to get vaccinated. In a project for health promotion among teenagers, I would like to make them aware of the facts about HPV vaccine and the risks of cervical cancer in adult life, on the basis of which they can make a decision. My own 13 year old daughter is likely to participate in the program and we are likely to make a choice after a thorough discussion, as well as advice from the pertinent experts.

References

Attkison, S. 2009. Gardasil Researcher Speaks Out, Online article accessed Nov. 10, 2009 at: http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/08/19/cbsnews_investigates/main5253431.shtml

Gray S.H. & Walzer T.B. (2004). New strategies for cervical cancer screening in adolescents, Current Opinion in Pediatrics, Vol. 16, Pgs. 344–349

HPV Vaccine Information for Young Women, Online article accessed Nov. 11, 2009 at: http://www.cdc.gov/std/hpv/STDFact-HPV-vaccine-young-women.htm

Information on ‘Healthy People 2010 project accessed online November 8, 2009 at: http://www.healthypeople.gov/About/

Majewski S., Bosch FX, Dillner J. et al. (2009). The impact of a quadrivalent human papillomavirus (types 6, 11, 16, 18) virus-like particle vaccine in European women aged 16 to 24, JEADV, Vol.  23, Pgs. 1147–1155

Merck’s Gardasil Vaccine Not Proven Safe for Little Girls, Online article accessed Nov. 10. 2009 at: http://www.cogforlife.org/gardasilNVIC.htm

Parker-Pope, T. 2008. Blaming the Media for Gardasil Hype, Online article accessed Nov. 11, 2009 at: http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/08/29/blaming-the-media-for-gardasil-hype/

Technical information on Gardasil, accessed online November 7, 2009 at: http://www.merck.com/product/usa/pi_circulars/g/gardasil/gardasil_pi.pdf

Tonic, L. 2008. My Personal Experience with Gardasil, Online article accessed Nov. 11, 2009 at: http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/932619/my_personal_experience_with_gardasil.html?cat=5