Health promotion: A Nursing Practice Problem
Introduction
Concept analysis is an approach that helps health practitioners to evaluate the characteristics or attributes of a given practice problem. It is a formal linguistic strategy to determine the defining characteristics. According to Kang (2011), a step-by-step approach to analyzing a concept related to nursing and/or health care is suggested to explicate and give a useful framework to develop the analysis. Health promotion is a frequently used concept, though often ill-defined. The current trends in health care and the focus on nurses to become health promoters stipulate that it is fundamental to clarify the health promotion concept in terms of its varied definitions, characteristics, and how it applies to the clinical and nursing practice.
Summary of Concept Analysis Used in the Article
Kang (2011) in his journal, a concept analysis of health promotion for women with urinary incontinence, identified the eight steps in concept analysis. For the first step – selection of the concept – health promotion was selected as the concept related to the practice problem of interest. The second step is the aim of analysis where the purpose of the study or analysis is determined. In the article, the aims of the health promotion concept were to establish the definition and develop a conceptual meaning of the existing research (Kang, 2011). The third step, which is identifying all uses of the given concept, involves identifying the myriad uses of the concept as cited in related literature, dictionary, thesaurus and uses by peers (Kang, 2011). The fourth step is to find out the defining attributes to determine what differentiates the health promotion concept from other related or similar concepts. The fifth step is to construct a model case to offer the useful application of an example case to real-life situations. In the sixth step, borderline and contrary cases are constructed to further clarify the current concept (Kang, 2011). In the seventh step, antecedents and consequences are identified and in the last step, empirical referents are defined. Similarly, in McCutcheon’s (2014) article, major steps of concept analysis were identified. The article selected health promotion in relation to the HPV infection. To further explicate the uses of the human promotion concept, the author demonstrated the application to populations and other situations. McCutcheon (2014) presented attributes of health-promoting behaviors as participation, empowerment, positive concept of health, and community. Antecedents, consequences, as well as empirical referents are presented, as are borderline, model, and contrary cases used to enhance concept clarification.
Definition of the Concept
In Concept analysis: Health-promoting behaviors related to Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) infection, McCutcheon (2014) define health promotion as an attempt to enhance individual and community’s health status; it is concerned with disease prevention and health education through support, skill training, advice and information-giving. According to Kang (2011), health promotion is the process that enables individuals to improve their well-being and health, facilitated by efforts to change behavior, enhance awareness and provide an environment that enhance good health practices.
How the Definition Differs from its Use
McCutcheon’s (2014) definition differs from its use in nursing and health care versus in other disciplines as it ignores the empirical authenticity and traditional conceptualization that many nurses consider health promotion to be majorly concerned with behavior and lifestyle change. In Kang’s (2014) article, the definition differs from its use as it emphasizes others (other than nurses) facilitating health promotion and de-emphasizes individual motivation.
Characteristics
Health promotion is identified with characteristics, including the empowering and enabling activity and process; healthy lifestyle and healthy behavior; multi-dimensional and multi-factoral process; inseparable with health care, and concerning health protection and disease prevention (Kang, 2011). In addition, health promotion is concerned with group/community and individual health (Kulbok, Thatcher, Park, & Meszaros, 2012).
Application
Health promotion is applied in the clinical and nursing practice when nurses assume the role of a nurse educator and develop ways through which individuals and communities or groups adopt healthy lifestyle to maintain an appropriate state of well-being (Kumar & Preetha, 2012).
Conclusion
On the concept analysis basis, health promotion can primarily be viewed as an artistic science, with goals that help human beings to enhance their well-being and health through environmental interaction. The current research has outlined the steps of concept analysis and clarified the meaning of health promotion concept as it relates to various scholars. The clarification of the existing concept’s theoretical definition and attributes provides a better understanding of the concept and brings it closer to its implications in clinical and nursing practice.
References
Kang, Y. (2011). A concept analysis of health promotion for women with urinary incontinence. International Journal of Urological Nursing, 5(3), 107-114.
Kulbok, P.A., Thatcher, E., Park, E., & Meszaros, P.S. (2012). Evolving public health nursing roles: Focus on community participatory health promotion and prevention. The Online Journal of Issues in Nursing, 17(2), 1-14.
Kumar, S., & Preetha, G. (2012). Health promotion: An effective tool for global health. Indian Journal of Community Medicine : Official Publication of Indian Association of Preventive & Social Medicine, 37(1), 5–12.
McCutcheon, T. (2014). Concept analysis: Health-promoting behaviors related to Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) infection. Nurs Forum, 49(4), 213-297.
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