Individually Focused Interventions and Population Focused Intervention, Research Paper Example

Individually focused interventions are distinctively different from population focused intervention. Individually focused interventions are generally tailored to address particular individuals in changing a behavior that exists such as smoking cigarettes and misuse of alcohol among others (Cavill, Kahlmeier & Racioppi, 2007). On the other hand, population focused intervention usually targets populations as well as groups with the objective of promotion n of constructive behavior such as healthy eating among school children. The objectives of health promotion interventions in general, whether individually focused or population focused involves changing the health behavior through transformations in breaking the structural barriers and promoting health knowledge, attitudes as well as facilitators. The components of relevance in health promotion intervention include motivation, setting of goals, building knowledge as well as education.

The basic premise behind individually focused interventions is addressing a behavior already inherent in an individual and tends to rely heavily on educating and motivating the victim in aspirations that such behaviors can be abandoned. The implementation of individually focused interventions must take in to consideration some cultural as well as socio-economic factors in their locations where the recipient is targeted (Maziak, Ward & Eissenberg, 2007).  For example, an application of individually focused interventions that is intended to advocate for healthy eating habits in a location of affluent inhabitants would require adoption of different approach as compared to the same intervention being practiced in areas of high rates of unemployment as well as low income people. On the other hand, population focused intervention targets the entire population and therefore the best approach of their propagation involves implementation of policies along with legislations and activities of mass media.

References

Cavill, N., Kahlmeier, S. & Racioppi, F., (2007). Physical activity and health in Europe: evidence for action. WHO, Geneva; OpenURL.

Maziak W., Ward, K. & Eissenberg, T., (2007).  Interventions for waterpipe smoking cessation. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews OpenURL.