Health Promotion In New Zealand For Health Promotion Agency

The ‘Stop Before You Start’ Campaign

Discuss about the Health Promotion in New Zealand for Health Promotion Agency.
 

1. Health promotion helps to reduce mortality and morbidity rates and address risk factors. Through health promotion programs, a strong, sustainable health system can be placed in the community. Here, the selected health promotion campaign for tobacco control is “Stop Before You Start”. This new campaign has been launched by Health promotion agency, New Zealand. The program is addressing one of the major issues in the world, tobacco smoking, which is known to be the cause behind fatal health issues including cancer (Hpa.org.nz, 2016). The campaign has targeted the audiences within 17-24 years old, who are at the greater risk f tobacco smoking because of social influence. It has been seen that, in New Zealand, the smoking prevalence is higher in Maori and pacific people along with people from a low socioeconomic background.  5% and 8% gap in mortality has been revealed within Maori and non-Maori men and women respectively (Durkin, Brennan & Wakefield, 2012). A significant gap between low and high socioeconomic people has also been identified regarding mortality rate. Thus, this campaign has a special focus on these groups of young adults. In previous studies mass media campaign has been seen to be effective for smoking reduction. Thus, the current campaign has focused on communicating with young adults to know their thinking about tobacco smoking and implementing strategies for changing their views.

Considering the health determinants is very important for establishing interventions in the community. Within the individual factors, the lifestyle and diet are considered. The young age people usually lead a harsh lifestyle, as they started to be involved in the wider community through college or working places. Different unsocial behaviors are seen to be increased during this age. Pregnant women are prone to smoke for stress relief, but it is very much injurious to baby’s health. However, shifting to a healthy life style can help to reduce smoking habit. Water is a natural detoxifier; it helps to reduce the toxic addiction for nicotine. Giger and grape juice are other natural processes for healthy living by quitting smoking (Zhu et al., 2012). In addition, there are some NRT therapies useful for quitting smoking including nicotine patches, gums or inhalers. However, these treatments usually include some side effects including nausea, irritation, behavioral changes. Analyzing all these factors, the campaign targeted audiences to stop smoking from the root; it aims the cessation of smoking before start.

Health Determinants and Inequalities Caused by Smoking

2. A number of studies highlighted that the Maori and Pacific population has a high rate of smoking habit when compared to non-Maori/non-pacific population. It is the main reason behind the health inequality in the community. The lung mortality rate has been estimated to be higher in Maori population than non-Maori are. This evidence shows a direct link between tobacco smoking and health inequalities in the particular population. While analyzing the contribution of smoking to the health inequalities, it has been found that lack of education and awareness is a major reason behind the health inequalities within Maori and non-Maori. With the increase in education rate among Maoris, a relative reduction of health inequalities was reported. It reduction rate in relative inequalities were 16-21% for men and 3-11% for women in between 1996-99 (Gould et al., 2012). The higher mortality rates for Maoris with poorer education were due to the result of smoking on cardiovascular, respiratory and cancer-related deaths. However, some initiatives have been undertaken by New Zealand government to reduce these health disparities and the situation has been improved; nevertheless much more improvement is needed to reduce the gap.

3. According to the data provided by (Hammond et al., 2012), non-Maori/non-Pacific people are getting the advantages in comparison to the Maori/Pacific population. The non-Maori/non-pacific population mostly lives in urban areas and gets adequate education to know about the impact of smoking on lung health. Thus, they are more concern about reducing smoking. This is why the campaign ‘Stop before you start’ has more focus on Maori population. 

4. A number of health determinants are contributing in the health inequalities caused by tobacco smoking. These include socioeconomic, educational as well as personal factors. The education level is much lower in Maoris compared to the non-Maoris/non-Pacific. Education is the key to health and well-being. Lack of education through the community is the main reason behind their unhealthy behavior (Durkin, S., Brennan & Wakefield, 2012). Due to lack of financial stability, they are more prone to smoking, as it is addiction and helps people to be relaxed.  In addition, the personal factors include cultural and racial influence. The campaign targets young adults, who also have a social influence, which is facilitating their unsocial behavior including smoking. On the other hand, culture is one of the major determinants. The rural Maoris have a cultural tradition of smoking at very young age, which influences the health inequalities.

The New Zealand Public Health and Disability Act of 2000 and its Alignment with Treaty of Waitangi Principles

5.The purpose of New Zealand public health and disability act 2000 is to provide disability support services, personal health services, public funding, and public health service as well as to establish new publicly owned health and disability organizations for improvement, promotion and protection of public health.  To respect and recognize the principles of treaty of Waitangi, some mechanisms have been included, through which people can participate in the decision-making about the health and disability service delivery (Ministry of Health NZ, 2015). Treaty is an integral part of the act. Aligning with the Treaty of Waitangi principles, the key principles of the health and disability act for involving Maori are partnership, participation and protection. The health and disability act 2000 has involved four Treaty of Waitangi principles, which facilitates Mari self-determination and rights of Maori people in health care delivery (Ministry of Health NZ, 2015). Nurses work in partnership with Maoris to improve their health outcomes. The health and disability act has aimed to promote the rights of Maoris to equitable access and participation in health services at all levels for decreasing inequalities.

6.The campaign ‘Stop before you start’ launched by health agency, has focused on the young adults, specifically the Maori people. The campaign is attempting to increase the awareness of audience for tobacco control. The young Maori adults are being communicated through a series of television commercials and radio advertisements and social media sites, where this age group people are mostly available. They are asked about their “relationship with tobacco.” After understanding their relationship, the risk of tobacco smoking and addiction are discussed along with the ways by which they can avoid social influence. This intervention is helping Maori Young adults to think about their anti-smoking habits. These influenced young adults can then disperse their awareness within the community and help others to reduce their smoking habit (Ministry of Health NZ, 2015). Health promotion is one of the best ways to enhance Maori people’s awareness about the risk of tobacco smoking and its impact on their health. Young adults are the most common groups who are being engaged in different antisocial habits because of addiction. In the campaign, interaction with individual Maori adults would be more effective to promote health information within the community (Hpa.org.nz, 2016). It has been seen that lack of education is the most important factor contributing in health inequalities. Heath promotion is the best way to enhance knowledge and awareness. Through yearly survey, the social workers would know whether the inequalities are reduced or not.

7.As the campaign is targeted to 18-24 years old young adults, it can be assumed that this group of people would be most benefited from the campaign along with the entire Maori population. It is because, usually, people tend to respond, when someone from their cultural background promotes the activity (Hpa.org.nz, 2016). Thus, through the Maori young people, the entire population would be benefited.

8. Anti-smoking messages can employ shock tactics and may scare people into giving up smoking. It can also be related to physical health issues like reduced corrugators muscle responses, accelerated heart rate and worsened recognition memory. Fear and disgust can also include cardiac deceleration.

Conclusion

In conclusion, it has been revealed that a significant heath inequality is present in the New Zealand health care framework within Maori and non-Maori population. It has been seen that Maori population are less aware about their health concerns and possible way to reduce health inequalities. Smoking is a significant cause of these health inequalities. The health promotion agency has launched a new program, “Stop before you start” targeting the young people who are more prone to smoke. The direct and in-direct health promotion through this population can enhance anti-smoking habit within the Maori and Pacific population.

Reference List

Durkin, S., Brennan, E., & Wakefield, M. (2012). Mass media campaigns to promote smoking cessation among adults: an integrative review. Tobacco control, 21(2), 127-138.

Gould, G. S., McEwen, A., Watters, T., Clough, A. R., & van der Zwan, R. (2012). Should anti-tobacco media messages be culturally targeted for Indigenous populations? A systematic review and narrative synthesis.Tobacco Control, tobaccocontrol-2012.

Hammond, D., Wakefield, M., Durkin, S., & Brennan, E. (2012). Tobacco packaging and mass-media campaigns: research needs for Articles 11 and 12 of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control. Nicotine & Tobacco Research, nts202.

Hpa.org.nz,. (2016). Stop Before You Start | HPA – Health promotion agency. Hpa.org.nz. Retrieved 29 July 2016, from https://www.hpa.org.nz/stop-before-you-start

Ministry of Health NZ,. (2015). Tobacco control. Ministry of Health NZ. Retrieved 29 July 2016, from https://www.health.govt.nz/our-work/preventative-health-wellness/tobacco-control

Zhu, S. H., Lee, M., Zhuang, Y. L., Gamst, A., & Wolfson, T. (2012). Interventions to increase smoking cessation at the population level: how much progress has been made in the last two decades?. Tobacco Control,21(2), 110-118.