Obesity and Asthma - Assignment Example

PART A - ASTHMA (FLIER) 1.Identification of the national health priority area and a rationale for why it is a national health issue. Asthma is a chronic disease that involves breath shortness, chest tightness and wheezing episodes associated with airways narrowing within the lungs and airflow obstruction. Chronic inflammation of air passages takes place and narrow easily and too much when triggered by food chemical, smoke and other environmental irritants, aspirin, exercise, allergens and viral infections (Lowrance, 2011). Asthma affects all age groups and its symptoms ranges from mild to severe and sometimes to life threatening. Asthma is a National Health Priority Area and a national health issue. Asthmatic people experience less life quality and always need variety of health services; consultations, emergency and inpatient care. If a severe episode of asthma takes place or is not properly managed, it can result to death though symptoms are reversible with treatment. Asthma affects work, family and recreation and causes school absenteeism (Chang & Johnson,2008). Asthma is prevalent among under 15 years in males and over 15 years in females. According to Australia’s health 2010, prevalence of asthma is higher in females overall at 10.9% than in males at 8.9%. It was estimated that in 2010, Australia’s leading burden of diseases was contributed by asthma accounting for 2.3%. 27% of children in Australian had current wheeze in 1997, and increasing per year by 1.4%. For every fifteen years in Australia, asthma has been doubling. Its mortality rate is high compared to England. In the past 20years wheezing episodes among children was at 5% but has now increased to 9%. There is low wheeze among the adults and becomes stable. However 80% of Australian adults who have persistent asthma contract abnormal lung function. Australia experiences almost 200 deaths from Asthma every year. Among the common problems managed, asthma is the 6th, and the 4th for being reason for hospital admission especially in children. Asthma is the common cause in school absenteeism among school children and interruption of parents work (Australia’s Health, 2010). 2. Identify and provide a brief description of the health promotion strategy, program or project that their flyer and presentation are based on. The purpose of the asthma campaign is to create awareness to people on the seriousness of asthma especially in children (Green& Tones, 2011). The health campaign will take place on 25th August 2011. It employs the message ‘save our children’ and ‘don’t wait for the damage, act now’ to prompt the children caretakers, guardians and parents to act urgently to the need. The campaign includes, adverts through national press, direct mail, web adverts, posters, and fliers. We will get the message out that 10%- 15% children have asthma. The flier shows what the campaign is all about (National Asthma Campaign), the venue, date and the target group. It also provides helpline contacts for more information. 3. Identify the target group who would be the recipients of this health promotion campaign, program or project and provide a rationale for why they are an appropriate target group. The asthma campaign targets anyone who has a child under care. This includes parents, guardians, and child caretakers as well as medical practitioners. This target group is appropriate as they are the ones who take care of children. It is thus important to for them to be aware of asthma and its implications in order to provide the right assistance to their children when needed. 4. Identify the appropriate location/venue to conduct the health promotion campaign, program or project and provide rationale/s for their selection. It would also be important to consider the needs of the target group when considering this aspect. The campaign will take place at the Providence House, Left Wing Hall, and Providence Place. The venue is on the highway will ample parking with a hall that can accommodate 5,000 people. This will be very convenient for those attending the campaign. The campaign will be aired live for those at home and can’t make it to the venue, to follow the proceedings. PART B 1. Obesity is a National Health Priority Area Obesity is also known as overweight. There is standard BMI classification which the World Health Organization recommends adults to have, which associates mortality, illness, and BMI. An individual is underweight if he or she has a BMI Read More