Health Education
Mapeh 20
Definition of Health Education Health is the level of functional and (or) metabolic efficiency of a living being. In humans, it is the general condition of a person in mind, body and spirit, usually meaning to being free from illness, injury or pain (as in “good health” or “healthy”). The World Health Organization (WHO) defined health in its broader sense in 1946 as "a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity."
The maintenance and promotion of health is achieved through different combination of physical, mental, and social well-being, together sometimes referred to as the “health triangle”. The WHO's 1986 Ottawa Charter for Health Promotion furthered that health is not just a state, but also "a resource for everyday life, not the objective of living. Health is a positive concept emphasizing social and personal resources, as well as physical capacities." Systematic activities to prevent or cure health problems and promote good health in humans are delivered by health care providers.
Applications with regard to animal health are covered by the veterinary sciences. The term "healthy" is also widely used in the context of many types of non-living organizations and their impacts for the benefit of humans, such as in the sense of healthy communities, healthy cities or healthy environments. In addition to health care interventions and a person's surroundings, a number of other factors are known to influence the health status of individuals, including their background, lifestyle, and economic and social conditions; these are referred to as "determinants of health".
Health Education comprises consciously constructed opportunities for learning involving some form of communication designed to improve health literacy, including improving knowledge, and developing life skills which are conducive to individual and community health.
Health education is not only concerned with the communication of information, but also with fostering the motivation, skills and confidence (self-efficacy) necessary to take action to improve health. Health education includes the communication of information concerning the underlying social, economic and environmental conditions impacting on health, as well as individual risk factors and risk behaviors, and use of the health care system.
In the past, health education was used as a term to encompass a wider range of actions including social mobilization and advocacy. These methods are now encompassed in the term health promotion, and a more narrow definition of health education is proposed here to emphasize the distinction.
Health education is the process by which people learn about their health and more specifically, how to improve their health. Many different types of people provide health education and there are many different ways health education is delivered, based on various behavioral change models. Health education is critically important in improving the health of communities and individuals.
1. Results o Health education attempts to increase knowledge on the subject. An increase in knowledge on the subject leads to a change in attitudes about healthy and unhealthy behaviors. This change in attitude ideally leads to a change in behaviors from unhealthy to healthy, leading to an improvement in health, which is the ultimate goal of health education.
Health Care Providers o Doctors, nurses, physician's assistants and nurse practitioners often provide one on one health education to patients on behaviors that improve their health.
Health Teachers o Health education is often provided to youth in schools in the format of a regular weekly class.
Health Educators o Another group that provides health education is health educators. These professionals differ from health teachers in that they focus on behavior change and do not work in a school class format. Health educators may work with individuals or groups.
2. Scope o Health education encompasses not only the information on what behaviors are healthy, but also how to achieve those behaviors with skills development and can sometimes include motivation to change. For example, in addition to knowing what foods are healthy, know how to prepare those foods, and easy ways to incorporate them into your diet. All these aspects together are more likely to result in behavior changes that lead to improved health.
The concept of the "health field", as distinct from medical care, emerged from the Lalonde report from Canada. The report identified three interdependent fields as key determinants of an individual's health. These are:
- Lifestyle: the aggregation of personal decisions (i.e. over which the individual has control) that can be said to contribute to, or cause, illness or death;
- Environmental: all matters related to health external to the human body, and over which the individual has little or no control;
- Biomedical: all aspects of health, physical and mental, developed within the human body as influenced by genetic make-up.
The environment is often cited as an important factor influencing the health status of individuals. This includes characteristics of the natural environment, the built environment, and the social environment. Factors such as clean water and air, adequate housing, and safe communities and roads all have been found to contribute to good health, especially the health of infants and children. Some studies have shown that a lack of neighborhood recreational spaces including natural environment leads to lower levels of personal satisfaction and higher levels of obesity, linked to lower overall health and well being. This suggests the positive health benefits of natural space in urban neighborhoods should be taken into account in public policy and land use.
Genetics, or inherited traits from parents, also play a role in determining the health status of individuals and populations. This can encompass both the predisposition to certain diseases and health conditions, as well as the habits and behaviors individuals develop through the lifestyle of their families - also referred to as the "nature versus nurture" debate, in other words the role of factors which can or cannot be controlled. For example, genetics may play a role in the manner in which people cope with stress, either mental, emotional or physical.
THE THREE ELEMENTS OF YOUR HEALTH
1. Physical health – means that all parts and systems of the body work well together. It means that your body has the ability to withstand the stresses of normal daily life. To gain or maintain physical health, you need to have proper nutrition, adequate exercise and enough rest and sleep. You also need to develop healthy skills, practice cleanliness in order to prevent disease, and get medical and dental check-ups and care when needed.
2. Mental health – includes how you like, accept and feel about yourself; how well you relate to others; and how you meet the demands of daily life. A person with good mental health is in touch with his or her emotions and expresses them in acceptable, healthful ways. People with good mental health enjoy learning and know that striving for information and understanding can be an exciting, life-long process.
3. Social health – involves the way you get along with others. It includes your ability to make and keep friends and to work and play in cooperative ways, seeking and lending support when necessary. It involves communicating well and sharing your feelings with others.
Wellness – means an overall state of well-being, or total health. It comes from a way of living each day that includes making decisions and choosing behaviors that are based on sound health knowledge and healthful attitudes. It implies a threefold commitment to physical, mental, and social health. This approach to health is called a holistic approach. Holistic means “whole” and this approach considers physical, mental, and social influences on the whole person and his/her health.
Life-style factors
After years of studying many groups of people, experts have identified 7 habits that make a difference in people’s overall health, happiness and longevity. People who practice these 7 important habits tend to be healthier and live longer. These habits are called life-style factors.
Life-style factors are repeated behaviors related to the way a person lives, which help determine his or her level of health. The following are important life-style factors:
1. Get between 7 to 8 hours of sleep per night.
2. Eat three meals a day at regular times.
3. Refrain from smoking.
4. Eat breakfast daily.
5. Participate in aerobic exercise at least 20 to 3o mins 3 to 4 times a week.
6. Do not drink alcoholic beverages.
7. Maintain your recommended weight.
UNDERSTANDING YOUR NEEDS, UNDERSTANDING PERSONALITY
All of us have basic needs. Most human behavior reflects an attempt to get these needs met, and when they are not me or cannot be met, the result is often physical illness, mental illness, or both.
A hierarchy of needs
Abraham Maslow, an American psychologist, presented human needs in the form of a pyramid. There is a hierarchy of needs that is, ranked list of those things human beings must have to survive and thrive. The most basic needs come first, we have to meet these before we become aware of the others.
1. Physical needs – the most basic human needs these include the need to satisfy hunger, thirst, sleep and so on.
2. Emotional needs – meeting this can have a great effect on your mental and physical health. The emotional needs are: need to love and be loved, need to belong, and the need to be valued and recognized.
3. Aesthetic needs – the word aesthetic means artistic; it means responding to or appreciating that which is beautiful. These needs also include the desire for order and balance in our lives. Our senses are stimulated by the rhythms, forms and colors around us, which can, in turn, affect our behavior and mental health.
4. Self-fulfilling needs – we each have a need to reach or strive for our full potential as a person. This striving to be the best that one can be is called self-actualization.
Personality and mental health
Personality – the totality of somebody’s attitudes, interest, behavioral patterns, emotional responses, social roles and other individual traits that endure over long period of time. It also includes our strengths, weaknesses, likes and dislikes.
Three main factors influence the development of your personality: heredity, environment and personal behavior. Heredity is the first influence of our personality and the most obvious traits are physical ones such as color of hair and eyes, shape of nose and others. There is an increasing evidence that heredity also plays a role in our emotions and even behaviors. Environment includes all of your surroundings- your family, where you grew up and live, and all your experiences. People who come from unhealthful environments may suffer from poor mental health as a result of exposure to rejection, physical or verbal abuse, hostility and other negative behaviors. Personal behavior the way you choose to act within your environment and with your inherited abilities has a very important impact on who you are.
Activity 1
1. Over which of the three factors that influence a person’s personality does a person have the most control? Why?
2. Compare the environment in which you grew up with of a friend’s. How has your environment affected your personality?
3. Give an example of a situation in which a person would have two different levels of needs but would make a choice to meet the more basic need.
What is Stress?
Stress – is defined as the body and mind’s reactions to everyday demands. It can mean an event that causes tension.
Kinds of stress
1. Distress – is negative stress, having too much stress and not knowing how to cope.
2. Eustress – is positive stress, it can help someone achieve his or her goals. Like studying for a test or working hard on a speech. A certain amount of stress is necessary for life, experts say that moderate amounts of stress improve productivity.
Coping with Stress
Although it is true that some stressors are good, even motivating your body cannot distinguish between positive and negative source of stress. Researchers believe that people who choose a healthful diet, get plenty of sleep, and exercise regularly are better able to cope with daily stress.
Defense Mechanism
At times everyone uses defense mechanisms, which are strategies to deal with stressful situations. Defense mechanisms contribute to emotional health by providing relief from anxiety and helping someone cope with problems. However, too much dependence on them can lead to avoidance in facing the problems of day to day life. The following are the defense mechanisms:
1. Denial – Refusal to accept reality.
2. Escape or fantasy – Running away from a problem through daydreams, books and excessive sleep.
3. Rationalization – An attempt to justify one’s actions with an excuse rather than admitting one’s failure or mistake.
4. Projection – An attempt to protect one’s self-esteem by blaming unpleasant feelings or inappropriate action on others.
5. Repression – Blocking out thoughts about unpleasant things or experiences- forgetting on purpose. Is actually an unconscious method of escaping something unpleasant.
6. Identification – Acting like or modeling one’s behavior after a person one likes. Is a form of hero worship.
7. Displacement – Expressing feelings toward someone or something not associated with the source of the feelings.
8. Regression – Retreating to an earlier time that seems less threatening and requires less responsibility.
9. Compensation – An attempt to make-up for something one did not have or did not receive.
10. Sublimation – Transforming unacceptable behaviors into acceptable ones. Can involve redirecting specific behaviors.
Managing Stress
You may not be able to control some stressors. However, you can control the effects you allow them to have on you. Five major ways to manage stress are planning, laughing, re-channeling your energy, learning to relax, and calling on your support system.
Activity 2
1. Compare five defense mechanisms giving an example of each.
2. How can setting priorities be an effective way of managing stress?
First aid
First aid is the provision of initial care for an illness or injury. It is usually performed by non-expert, but trained personnel to a sick or injured person until definitive medical treatment can be accessed. Certain self-limiting illnesses or minor injuries may not require further medical care past the first aid intervention. It generally consists of a series of simple and in some cases, potentially life-saving techniques that an individual can be trained to perform with minimal equipment. While first aid can also be performed on all animals, the term generally refers to care of human patients.
First Aid or emergency care is the immediate, temporary care given to a person who has become sick or who has been injured. First aid continues until a proper medical authority arrives at the scene of the emergency. Administering first aid is a serious job. It can mean the difference between life and death or between temporary and permanent disability.
History The instances of recorded first aid were provided by religious knights, such as the Knights Hospitaller, formed in the 11th century, providing care to pilgrims and knights, and training other knights in how to treat common battlefield injuries. The practice of first aid fell largely in to disuse during the High Middle Ages, and organized societies were not seen again until in 1859 Henry Dunant organized local villagers to help victims of the Battle of Solferino, including the provision of first aid.
Four years later, four nations met in Geneva and formed the organization which has grown into the Red Cross, with a key stated aim of "aid to sick and wounded soldiers in the field".This was followed by the formation of St. John Ambulance in 1877, based on the principles of the Knights Hospitaller, to teach first aid, and numerous other organization joined them with the term first aid first coined in 1878 as civilian ambulance services spread as a combination of "first treatment" and "national aid" in large railway centres and mining districts as well as with police forces. First aid training began to spread through the empire through organisations such as St. John, often starting, as in the UK, with high risk activities such as ports and railways.
Many developments in first aid and many other medical techniques have been driven by wars, such as in the case of the American Civil War, which prompted Clara Barton to organize the American Red Cross. Today, there are several groups that promote first aid, such as the military and the Scouting movement. New techniques and equipment have helped make today’s first aid simple and effective.
Aims
The key aims of first aid can be summarized in three key points:
- Preserve life: the overriding aim of all medical care, including first aid, is to save lives
- Prevent further harm: also sometimes called prevent the condition from worsening, or danger of further injury, this covers both external factors, such as moving a patient away from any cause of harm, and applying first aid techniques to prevent worsening of the condition, such as applying pressure to stop a bleed becoming dangerous.
- Promote recovery: first aid also involves trying to start the recovery process from the illness or injury, and in some cases might involve completing a treatment, such as in the case of applying a plaster to a small wound
- Aquatic/Marine first aid—Usually practiced by professionals such as lifeguards, professional mariners or in diver rescue, and covers the specific problems which may be faced after water-based rescue and/or delayed MedEvac.
- Battlefield first aid—This takes in to account the specific needs of treating wounded combatants and non-combatants during armed conflict.
- Hyperbaric first aid—Which may be practiced by SCUBA diving professionals, who need to treat conditions such as the bends.
- Oxygen first aid—Providing oxygen to casualties who suffer from conditions resulting in hypoxia.
- Wilderness first aid is the provision of first aid under conditions where the arrival of emergency responders or the evacuation of an injured person may be delayed due to constraints of terrain, weather, and available persons or equipment. It may be necessary to care for an injured person for several hours or days.
- Hydrofluoric Acid first aid—taught to first aiders in the chemical industry where hydrofluoric acid may be used. Instructs the first aider how to initially treat (with calcium gluconate) any skin that has been splashed with the acid.
- Altitude sickness, which can begin in susceptible people at altitudes as low as 5,000 feet, can cause potentially fatal swelling of the brain or lungs.
- Anaphylaxis, a life-threatening condition in which the airway can become constricted and the patient may go into shock. The reaction can be caused by a systemic allergic reaction to allergens such as insect bites or peanuts. Anaphylaxis is initially treated with injection of epinephrine.
- Battlefield first aid—This protocol refers to treating shrapnel, gunshot wounds, burns, bone fractures, etc. as seen either in the ‘traditional’ battlefield setting or in an area subject to damage by large scale weaponry, such as a bomb blast.
- Bone fracture, a break in a bone initially treated by stabilizing the fracture with a splint.
- Burns, which can result in damage to tissues and loss of body fluids through the burn site.
- Cardiac Arrest,which will lead to death unless CPR preferably combined with an AED is started within minutes. There is often no time to wait for the emergency services to arrive as 92 percent of people suffering a sudden cardiac arrest die before reaching hospital according to the American Heart Association.
- Choking, blockage of the airway which can quickly result in death due to lack of oxygen if the patient’s trachea is not cleared, for example by the Heimlich Maneuver.
- Childbirth.
- Cramps in muscles due to lactic acid build up caused either by inadequate oxygenation of muscle or lack of water or salt.
- Diving disorders, drowning or asphyxiation.
- Gender-specific conditions, such as dysmenorrhea and testicular torsion.
- Heart attack, or inadequate blood flow to the blood vessels supplying the heart muscle.
- Heat stroke, also known as sunstroke or hyperthermia, which tends to occur during heavy exercise in high humidity, or with inadequate water, though it may occur spontaneously in some chronically ill persons. Sunstroke, especially when the victim has been unconscious, often causes major damage to body systems such as brain, kidney, liver, gastric tract. Unconsciousness for more than two hours usually leads to permanent disability. Emergency treatment involves rapid cooling of the patient.
- Hair tourniquet a condition where a hair or other thread becomes tied around a toe or finger tightly enough to cut off blood flow.
- Heat syncope, another stage in the same process as heat stroke, occurs under similar conditions as heat stroke and is not distinguished from the latter by some authorities.
- Heavy bleeding, treated by applying pressure (manually and later with a pressure bandage) to the wound site and elevating the limb if possible.
- Hyperglycemia (diabetic coma) and Hypoglycemia (insulin shock).
- Hypothermia, or Exposure, occurs when a person’s core body temperature falls below 33.7°C (92.6°F). First aid for a mildly hypothermic patient includes rewarming, but rewarming a severely hypothermic person could result in a fatal arrhythmia, an irregular heart rhythm.
- Insect and animal bites and stings.
- Joint dislocation.
- Poisoning, which can occur by injection, inhalation, absorption, or ingestion.
- Seizures, or a malfunction in the electrical activity in the brain. Three types of seizures include a grand mal (which usually features convulsions as well as temporary respiratory abnormalities, change in skin complexion, etc.) and petit mal (which usually features twitching, rapid blinking, and/or fidgeting as well as altered consciousness and temporary respiratory abnormalities).
- Muscle strains and Sprains, a temporary dislocation of a joint that immediately reduces automatically but may result in ligament damage.
- Stroke, a temporary loss of blood supply to the brain.
- Toothache, which can result in severe pain and loss of the tooth but is rarely life threatening, unless over time the infection spreads into the bone of the jaw and starts osteomyelitis.
Priorities in an emergency
The first five minutes of an emergency situation are the most critical. During this crucial time it is important to remain calm and keep these six priorities in mind:
- Check the immediate surroundings for possible dangers.
- Check to see if the victim is conscious. If not, call for an ambulance at once.
- Check breathing.
- Control severe bleeding.
- Check the victim for poisoning. A poison is any substance solid, liquid or gas that causes injury, illness or death when introduced into the body.
- Send for medical help.
Once you have taken steps to ensure the victim’s safety and have administered life support procedures, you should attend to the following secondary measures.
- Learn as much as you can about what happened and devise a plan of action.
- See to the victim’s continued safety and comfort.
- Make sure the victim maintain normal body temperature.
- Loosen tight or binding clothing, taking care not to jar the victim’s neck or spine. (Glencoe Health, 1994)
Signs and Symptoms: The following signs and symptoms often accompany wounds:
- Bleeding or oozing of blood
- Redness
- Swelling
- Pain and tenderness
- Heat
- Possible fever with infection
- Loss of function (or mobility)
- Oozing pus, foul smell (in infected wounds only)
- Surgery
- Heat or chemical burn
- Temperature extremes (frostbite)
- Radiation (www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/wounds.html)
Open wounds are usually a result of external physical forces.
Types of Open wounds
There are four basic types of open wounds:
1. Scrape. (Abrasion) it damages outer layers of skin. Abrasions are accompanied by little or no bleeding but may become infected. It is caused by scraping or rubbing.
2. Cut. (incision or laceration) a cut can have jagged or smooth edges. Cuts are caused by sharp objects, such as knives or broken glass. A cut also result when a hard blow from a blunt object opens the skin.
3. Puncture. When a pin, splinter, or other pointed objects pierces the skin, the resulting wound is a puncture. While external bleeding is usually limited, puncture wounds carry the potential for internal bleeding and damage to internal organs as well as an increased possibility of infection. The risk of infection increases when the object remains in the skin.
4. Avulsion. This is a wound that results when tissue is separated partly or completely from the victim’s body. Avulsions often occur in auto accidents and from animal bites. Since severed body parts can sometimes be reattached surgically, they should be sent along with the victim to the hospital.
First aid for Open wounds
There are four steps in applying first aid to open wounds. They include: stopping the bleeding, protecting the wound from infection, treating the victim for shock, and seeking medical care.
Stopping the bleeding. Applying direct pressure to the wound is the best method for stopping bleeding because this method prevents blood loss without interfering with circulation. To apply direct pressure, follow these steps:
1. Place a thick, clean cloth over the wound.
2. Place the palm of your hand over the cloth and press firmly. If blood soaks through place added layers of cloth over the first. Never remove the original cloth; doing so might disturb the blood clots that have formed.
3. Continue applying pressure to the wound until bleeding stops. Unless the injury involves a fracture or broken bone, the bleeding body part should be elevated above the level of the victim’s heart. The force of gravity helps slow the flow of blood.
Protecting the wound. Normally, a clean cloth over the open wound will help protect it from infection.
Treating for shock. Shock is the failure of the cardiovascular system to keep adequate blood circulating to the vital organs of the body. Shock can result from severe bleeding, heart attack, electrocution, poisoning, burns or sudden changes of temperature. You can recognize shock by these signs and symptoms: confused behavior, very fast or very slow pulse rate or breathing, trembling and weakness in the arms and legs, skin that is pale or clammy, pale or bluish lips and fingernails and enlarged pupils.
When treating for shock, do the following:
1. Keep the victim lying down
2. Make sure the victim maintains normal body temperature.
3. Get medical help as soon as possible.
Unless you suspect a head injury, place the shock victim on his or her back with the feet elevated about 8 to 12 inches above the head. A shock victim with a possible head injury should not be moved. Since emergency surgery may be required, shock victims should never be given food and drinks.
First aid for poisoning
Some poisons are swallowed or inhaled while others enter the body through insect or animal bites.
Beautiful inside and out
It is said that there is a mythical potion called ambrosia, the elixir of the gods which when imbibed will preserve one’s youth forever. To begin you must know your state of health or your fitness level. What count most is not the number of years you add to your life but the life you add to your years.
Lifespan is a concept which implies that an individual’s existence has a beginning and an end. It is the biological limit of human life or the absolutely oldest age that an individual could possibly reach in the absence of fatal diseases, predators or accidents.
Are you ageless? Three types of aging:
1. Chronological age = number of years
2. Biological age = how well your body continues to function
3. Psychosocial age = level of one’s mental alertness and sociability
Eating Right: A lifestyle
Good health does not come by accident. It comes with discipline.
Nutrition is a way in which any living thing takes in food and uses it for growth and energy. Food substances necessary for life are called nutrients. Food provide us with 6 basic nutrients: carbohydrates, fats, protein, vitamins, minerals and water. Each has an essential function and each interacts with the other. These foods undergo metabolism- a process by which digested nutrients are converted into building materials for the body’s tissue and the production of energy. Catabolism- is the breakdown of complex substances into more complete substances into simpler ones, resulting into the release of energy for muscular contraction. Anabolism- is the synthesis of simple substances into more complex substances or storing them in some form for later use. This process provides the energy necessary for tissue growth, maintenance and repair. Carbohydrates 60% , protein 15%, and fats 25%.
The food pyramid emphasizes foods from the five food groups.
The energy your body needs depends on your age, sex, and size. It also depends on how active you are. In general, daily intake should be:
1. 1,600 calories for most women and older adults
2. 2,200 calories kids, teen girls, active women and most men
3. 2,800 calories for teen boys and active men.
Good cholesterol vs. Bad cholesterol
Saturated fat or LDL(low density lipoproteins) is present in meat and dairy products and to a much lesser extent in vegetable oils such as coconut, palm and kernel oils. This kind of fat raises cholesterol levels and if consumed in large quantities may increase the risk of heart disease.
Monounsaturated fat and polyunsaturated fat, better known as unsaturated fat or HDL(high density lipoprotein) which can be found in fat of fish, and vegetables predominate in vegetable oils. These fats lower blood cholesterol levels.
USDA Food Pyramid
The United States Department of Agriculture Food Pyramid provides a practical visual guide to healthful eating, indicating the recommended daily portions of the basic food groups.
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Vitamins differ from minerals in that they are organic, that is derived from animal or plant sources, whereas minerals are inorganic, inanimate elements originating in soil and water.
Fat-soluble vitamins:
- Vit. A (retinol)/betacarotene
Benefits: Helps keep vision sharp and skin, hair and nails healthy; reinforces the immune system. The anti-oxidant betacarotene may help protect against heart disease and some cancers.
- Vit. D (calciferol)
- Vit. E (tocopherol)
- Vit. K
Water soluble vitamins
- Vit. B1 (thiamine)
Benefits: Helps metabolize carbohydrates; aids digestion and nerve functions.
- Vit. B2 (riboflavin)
Benefits: Helps metabolize all foods and release energy to cells.
- Vit. B3 ( niacin or nicotinic acid)
Benefits: Helps digestion and nerve function. Very high doses can increase blood levels of good cholesterol while lowering bad cholesterol.
- Vit. B5 (pantothenic acid)
BENEFITS: Essential in metabolizing food and regulating nerve function.
- Vit. B6 (pyridoxine)
BENEFITS: Plays a major role in protein and carbohydrate metabolism, red blood cell formation, and nerve function regulation. Appears to heighten the immune response in the elderly.
- Vit. B12 (cobalamin)
BENEFITS: Essential to red blood cell formation and maintenance and DNA metabolism; aids in nervous system functioning.
- Biotin
BENEFITS: Helps metabolize glucose and form fatty acids, among many other body processes.
- Folic acid (folate or folacin)
BENEFITS: Necessary for the formation of red blood cells and DNA metabolism.
- Vit. C (ascorbic acid)
BENEFITS: Maintains bones, teeth, and gums; helps to heal cuts and wounds; promotes resistance to infection. It may help prevent or alleviate cold symptoms. As an antioxidant, Vitamin C may help to lessen the tissue damage associated with aging and may reduce the risk of cancer and heart disease.
MINERALS
MACROMINERALS
1. Calcium
MAJOR FOOD SOURCES: yogurt, milk, cheese, tofu, canned salmons and sardines (with bones), dark green leafy vegetables (especially collard greens and broccoli).
BENEFITS: Essential for building and maintaining strong bones and teeth, especially in postmenopausal women at risk of osteoporosis; facilitates blood clotting as well as muscle and nerve functioning .
2. Chloride
MAJOR FOOD SOURCES: table salt, processed foods, milk.
BENEFITS: Helps maintain the body’s fluid and acid base balances; is an ingredient in gastric juices.
3. Magnesium
MAJOR FOOD SOURCES: dark, green leafy vegetables, legumes, nuts, whole grains, milk.
BENEFITS: Plays a vital role in the body’s metabolic activities; promotes bone growth; aids nerve and muscle functioning.
4. Phosphorus
MAJOR FOOD SOURCES: fish, meat, poultry, legumes, dairy product, eggs, nuts.
BENEFITS: Helps convert food to energy; with calcium, helps build and maintain bones and teeth; aids nerve and muscle function.
5. Potassium
MAJOR FOOD SOURCES: many fruits and vegetables – especially citrus fruits, bananas, and potatoes (with skin) – milk, yogurt, bran cereals, legumes, meat.
BENEFITS: Essential for muscle contraction, nerve impulses, and kidney and heart functioning, as well as for blood pressure and fluid balance regulation. May help to lessen the risk of hypertension and stroke.
6. Sodium
MAJOR FOOD SOURCES: table salt, processed foods, milk
BENEFITS: helps to maintain acid-base and body fluid balances.
7. Sulfur
MAJOR FOOD SOURCES: wheat germ, legumes, meat, fish.
BENEFITS: helps make cartilage, hair and nails; also an essential ingredient of amino acids.
TRACE MINERALS
1. Chromium
MAJOR FOOD SOURCES: whole grains, meat, brewer’s yeast, peanuts.
BENEFITS: Helps metabolize carbohydrates and fats; helps to regulate the action of insulin and glucose.
2. Copper
MAJOR FOOD SOURCES: Shellfish, organ meats, legumes, nuts, whole grains, potatoes.
BENEFITS: Aids in the formation of red blood cells, connective tissue, and nerve fibers; also helps the body absorb iron.
3. Fluoride
MAJOR FOOD SOURCES: fluoridated water, foods cooked in it, canned fish (with bones), tea.
BENEFITS: strengthens teeth and bones, aids in the body’s calcium absorption.
4. Iodine
MAJOR FOOD SOURCES: iodized salt, seafood, dairy products, vegetables grown in iodine-rich soil.
BENEFITS: necessary for cell metabolism and thyroid gland functioning.
5. Iron
MAJOR FOOD SOURCES: red meat and liver, poultry, eggs, legumes, grains, blackstrap molasses, dark green leafy vegetables, foods cooked in cast-iron pots.
BENEFITS: plays a role in energy production as well as in the formation of hemoglobin (which transport oxygen in the blood) and myoglobin (which stores oxygen in the muscles).
6. Manganese
MAJOR FOOD SOURCES: whole grains, nuts, legumes, fruits and vegetables, tea instant coffee, cocoa.
BENEFITS: Helps tendon and bone growth and development as well as protein and energy metabolism.
7. Molybdenum
MAJOR FOOD SOURCES: legumes, whole grains, organ meats, dark green leafy vegetables.
BENEFITS: Helps in metabolism and in regulating iron levels.
8. Selenium
MAJOR FOOD SOURCES: meat and organ meats, seafood, whole grains.
BENEFITS: interacts with vitamin e as an antioxidant and may help protect against some cancers. Helps facilitate immune response and heart muscles functioning.
9. Zinc
MAJOR FOOD SOURCES: beef, liver, seafood (especially shellfish, oysters), eggs, grains, poultry.
BENEFITS: Plays a major role in digestive and metabolic processes; helps to heal wounds and repair body tissues. Antioxidant.
Role of Health Care Providers
Health care systems can be an important part of a coordinated, community-wide effort to combat domestic violence. Many battered women do not contact advocacy organizations, shelters, police or prosecutors, or do not do so until the abuse has become quite serious and life-threatening. Women often continue, however, to seek emergency and routine medical care for themselves and their children. In fact, medical assistance may be required more frequently because of the health effects of abuse on women and children. Mental health professionals may see women suffering from anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, and depression, all of which might be linked to domestic violence. Health care professionals—whether pediatricians, general practitioners, dentists, nurses or emergency room physicians—can thus provide needed assistance to women who may not seek other types of help, or may be able to intervene earlier than can advocates or agencies.
Doctors and other health care providers can assist victims of domestic violence in many ways. Health care workers can assist victims of violence by (1) avoiding victim-blaming behavior that can reinforce a victim's isolation and undermine her self-confidence, (2) conducting both individualized and general screening (i.e., watching for signs of abuse in individual patients and asking all patients about violence in their lives), (3) documenting injuries and details of the abuse, (4) referring patients to resources in the community, and (5) maintaining patient privacy and confidentiality. From World Health Organization, Violence Against Women: What Health Workers Can Do. In addition, doctors are often respected members of the community; their involvement in efforts to end domestic violence can contribute significantly to raising awareness about the issue and to efforts to eliminate the abuse.
Advocates have also worked together with health care providers to establish "one-stop" victim assistance centers in hospitals. The Special Rapporteur has cited as a "best practice," for example, the Hospital-Assisted Crisis Intervention to Women Survivors of Violence Environments (HAVEN) in the Philippines. HAVEN "provides medical and legal services and serves as a drop-in centre for victims of violence against women." Women can be connected with a variety of services at HAVEN, including housing, counseling, and legal and financial assistance. Also cited as a "best practice" is the Pan American Health Organization's initiative in Latin American to locate initial detection points in health services and to sensitize and involve men through programs focused on reproductive health. From Addendum 1 to the Special Rapporteur's 2003 Report, International, regional and national developments in the area of violence against women 1994-2003, 2162 (E/CN.4/2003/75/Add.1) (27 February 2003).
In the CEE/FSU region, access to court systems either requires or heavily depends upon formal forensic medical certificates to prove domestic violence. According to such systems, forensic doctors examine a woman and document her injuries with a certificate. The certificate indicates the seriousness of the injury and the category of assault that applies. From Cheryl Thomas, Domestic Violence, in 1 Women and International Human Rights Law 219, 225 (Kelly D. Askin & Dorean M. Koenig eds., 1999). One of the many problems associated with forensic medical systems is that since the institutions exist for the purpose of providing documentation for court proceedings, their primary focus is not the best medical care and treatment of domestic violence victims. Women seeking treatment for their injuries may be confused and misled by the process and may never receive adequate medical care. Domestic violence advocates should be aware of the hurdles presented to domestic violence victims by the forensic medical system.
The Family Violence Prevention Fund (FVPF), a U.S.-based NGO, provides a Fact Sheet containing additional information on the health care system's response to domestic violence, an online newsletter, Health Alert on current issues, and information packets on health care issues that can be ordered on-line.
A health care provider is an individual or an institution that provides preventive, curative, promotional or rehabilitative health care services in a systematic way to individuals, families or communities.
An individual health care provider (also known as a health worker) may be a health care professional, an allied health professional, a community health worker, or another person trained and knowledgeable in medicine, nursing or other allied health professions, or public/community health. Institutions (also known as health facilities) include hospitals, clinics, primary health care centers and other service delivery points. The practice of health professionals and operation of health care institutions is typically regulated by national or state/provincial authorities through appropriate regulatory bodies for purposes of quality assurance. Together, they form part of an overall health care system.
Environmental health officers (EHOs) are usually employed by local government or state health authorities to advise on and enforce public health standards. However, many are employed in the private sector and in the military.
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HEALTH AND SAFETY OFFICER
DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
1. To develop, implement and monitor Board Occupational Health and Safety Policy, Programs, and
Procedures;
2. To assist the Board in complying with current health and safety legislation and/or regulations with the
objective of ensuring that all reasonable and proper measures are taken to protect the safety and
health of learners, staff and visitors;
3. To establish budget proposals for the operation of the Occupational Health and Safety office and
specific training programs;
4. To increase health and safety awareness at all levels within the organization;
5. To investigate and report on all serious/critical personal injury accidents occurring to students, staff
and/or visitors to the appropriate senior official, and to assist in the investigation of all
accidents/incidents that result in substantial damage to Board vehicles and property;
6. To investigate and report on complaints of hazardous working conditions to the Associate Director
and/or other appropriate senior staff;
7. To respond to employees’ safety concerns;
8. To conduct, as necessary, the safety inspection of any Board facility;
9. To assist the Board’s Joint Occupational Health & Safety Committees;
10. To respond to fires and other emergencies on or about the Board property;
11. To coordinate registration and removal of hazardous waste;
12. To receive reports from and respond to orders issued by Department of Labor inspectors;
13. To arrange for Occupational Health and Safety testing and/or evaluations of the workplace by
external agencies/consultants as may be necessary;
14. To act as liaison with all related governmental bodies and regulating agencies;
15. To coordinate the training of personnel in areas of safety, including first aid, CPR, accident
prevention and investigation, work place inspections and other matters related to implementing safety
procedures in Board facilities;
16. To coordinate the Board’s emergency procedures and act as the Board’s emergency on-site
coordinator;
17. To assist executive staff, senior administrators, principals and supervisors in emergency preparedness;
18. To develop, review, and update appropriate sections of the Board’s Emergency Procedures Manual;
19. To liaise with municipal and State Emergency planners, update plans, organize exercises and evaluate
procedures;
20. To liaise with the fire department regarding emergency procedures, communications and fire safety
education programs;
21. To coordinate the selection and distribution of emergency communications equipment to schools and
administrative/support departments;
22. To assume other duties as may be assigned.
Health Care Officer Responsibilities The main job responsibility of health care officer is to maintain good health record and to look after the working of government hospitals. He is responsible to provide proper training to his or her junior doctors and make them responsible for their respective duties. He or she is responsible to manage the staff under him and check their duties various.
Health Care Officer Job Responsibilities
- Providing proper resources to government hospitals and organizing different health care office in small towns is the main responsibility of Health Officer.
- He is responsible for managing and providing systematic heed to his or patients.
- Checking the daily or weekly reports of the hospitals and analysis the fact accordingly.
- He or she is responsible to supply proper medical care to respective village and towns.
- Recommending medicines and carrying out different surgical procedures is also the responsibility of Health care Officer.
- To deal with different investigation cases and procedures like performing operations and special investigation is also the responsibility of health care officer.
- He or she is responsible for managerial duties for example planning the workload, staffing the unit at senior levels.
- Health care officer is also responsible to manage proper documentation of his work.