Question

Natalie Jemez, DNP, a pediatric nurse practitioner, works for a community-based health center. After hearing about the death of a 12-year-old boy who suffered head trauma at the local skateboard park, Natalie and her colleagues at the community center decided to initiate an injury reduction program targeting local youth and their families. Specifically, they were interested in raising awareness regarding traumatic brain injury and providing a mechanism to increase helmet use among children skateboarding and riding bicycles at the city park. Natalie wrote a grant in partnership with the local school district to secure state funds for a 3-year project that would achieve the following four goals: (1) development of informational brochures to be mailed to the families of children attending the local schools, (2) development of an age-appropriate information video “Helmet Heads” to be shown to children within the school system, (3) providing a mechanism for parents to purchase helmets at a significant discount from a local retailer, and (4) purchasing a large number of helmets for free use (by checking the helmets out at the local park service center) while children and their families are at the park. Natalie was awarded grant funding for a 3-year project. As the program was implemented, other community stakeholders (including the local hospital, the orthopedic physician group, and the neurosurgeon physician group) became interested and provided additional funds to purchase additional protective equipment and to track data regarding use of equipment and number and types of reported injuries

Which level of prevention is the focus of the grant discussed in the case presentation?

List attributes seen in the concept of health promotion. Indicate how the attributes are evident in the case study?

Answer 1

Which level of prevention is the focus of the grant discussed in the case presentation?

Wearing helmets is the secondary level of prevention as it does not reduce or prevent crashes from occurring during cycling or skateboarding but reduces the chances of traumatic brain injury if crashes or accidents happen. Secondary prevention is one that halts the progress of disease or condition at its incipient stage and prevents complications.

In the given case scenario the major goals discussed are about the increasing use of safety helmets and ensuring its easy availability. Measures are directed in the community at a specific population group. So the focus of the grant is on secondary prevention that is minimizing chances of a traumatic head injury while skateboarding or riding cycle if crashes/ accidents happen.

List attributes seen in the concept of health promotion. Indicate how the attributes are evident in the case study?

Attributes seen in the concept of health promotion are as follows:

Optimization of health: Health promotion measures should be directed towards at optimization of health. The proposed grant is a community-based target specific health promotion program aimed at reducing the incidence of traumatic head injuries associated with cycling and skateboarding.

Evidence: measures or recommendations for health promotion should be based on evidence of its effectiveness. The recommendations in the grant is based on evidence that helmet use can reduce head injuries associated with bicycle accidents by nearly 85 percent.

Individual or community-centric: Strategy for health promotion may be directed at mass or high-risk individuals. To be effective it mush be valued and acknowledged by the people and there should be leadership from the community for successful implementation of the programme. The proposed grant is directed towards educating parents and children about helmet use and ensuring accessibility and availability of proper fitting helmets. Plan also includes local leadership from stakeholders like schools, hospitals, physicians which improves the credibility and acceptance of the interventions.

Enculturation: to be successful a health promotion plan should be based on cultural beliefs, attitudes, values, and sensitivity of the community or individuals for which it is planned. Involvement of schools, local stakeholders like a local park service center, the local retailer also enhances the chances of acceptance of the plan.