ECH130 Lecture Notes - Lecture 1: Health Promotion, Junk Food, Gastroenteritis
9 May 2018
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ECH130
WEEK 1
PERSPECTIVES ON HEALTH
Definition of Health
• Def. of health by World Health Organisation (arm of the UN)
A state of coplete physical, eotioal ad social well-being, and not merely the absence of
disease or ifirity
• Purpose is to direct international health responses
• Not just absence of disease, but also mental, social, spiritual etc.
• HEALTH:
• Prevention (vaccines)
• Access to health services
• Dietary + good and bad habits
• Emotional health/well-being
We see this reflected in some curriculum, e.g., Victorian Early Years Learning and Development
Framework for all Children from Birth to Eight Years.
• Outcome 1: Children have a strong sense of identity.
• Outcome 2: Children are connected with and contribute to their world.
• Outcome 3: children have a strong sense of wellbeing.
• good mental and physical health
• attachment, positive affect and self-regulation.
o Being able to manage emotions productively and build resilience and persistence, being
adaptable and confident, and experiencing feelings of satisfaction and happiness
• Outcome 4: Children are confident and involved learners.
• Outcome 5: Children are effective communicators.
Birth to 12 Years
Birth to 12 is a crucial time – laying foundations for later life & life-long learning
• Brain development
• Physical health (e.g., nutrition- foundation for good habits)
• Relationships (empathy and communication)
• Emotional wellbeing: good experiences are essential for brain development
Beliefs, Philosophies and Evidence
• Consider treatment of your own illnesses.
• Evidence used within your practice may not always fit with your own beliefs - ethical dilemma
• Sometimes you may be involved in treatments that do not fit with your own beliefs and are not based
on evidence. This can be a major ethical dilemma.
• Recent controversial cases in Australia relate to withholding medical interventions in favour of
alternative therapies and infant death has occurred. Criminal prosecutions have resulted.
Neoliberalism or Social Justice Approach
• Australians use a mix of neoliberalist and social justice arguments regarding health reforms.
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
ECH130
WEEK 1
PERSPECTIVES ON HEALTH
• Neoliberalist arguments relate to individualism, privatisation and decentralisation. A basic idea is
that individuals should be allowed to make choices about their health care and health risks.
• Social Justice Approaches are community based and often government led. It is assumed that the
role of government is to make sound policy to prevent and treat illness.
Beliefs are closed aligned to other political beliefs about personal vs state responsibilities
Problems with Social Justice Approach
• Individuals feel their freedom is curtailed.
• Businesses and other agencies such as schools often enforce compliance at a cost.
Problems with Neo-liberalist Approach
• Assumes it is easy to make appropriate healthy choices e.g., French fries from McDonald's.
• Assumes adults can make choices for children- parents may not have the adequate
education/information to provide for children
Government, school/childcare, parent, child responsibilities
There is constant conflict about who should take responsibility for health. Promotion of food products
is an example:
• Health advocates generally argue for greater government regulation. For example, most would argue
for o adertisig durig hildres t ieig tie (which occurs primarily during adult shows in the
early eeig, ot i hildres tieslots.
• Some argue that it is a parental responsibility, not the role of Government – e should ot e a Nay
State.
• Some argue that schools and childcare should be more proactive. In particular, associating junk food
with fund raising (creating a positive association with the product) and selling junk food in school
canteens in a problem.
• Whatever the decision, it is also important that children are educated about making good food choices
– they are not passive recipients.
Changes over time
Health in the 1900s compared to now
Birth-rate
• 1901: 3.5 children per female
• Now: less than 2 --> can we provide for an older population?
Maternal mortality at birth
• 1901: 7.2%
• Now: Less than 1 per thousand
Infant mortality in the first year
• 1901: 11%
• Now: Less than 0.5%
Infant mortality in the first year strongly linked to socio-economic status
• Finland: 2 per 1,000 live births
• Australia: 3 per 1,000 live births
• Mexico: 13 per 1.000 live births
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Document Summary
We see this reflected in some curriculum, e. g. , victorian early years learning and development. This can be a major ethical dilemma: recent controversial cases in australia relate to withholding medical interventions in favour of alternative therapies and infant death has occurred. Neoliberalism or social justice approach: australians use a mix of neoliberalist and social justice arguments regarding health reforms. Perspectives on health: neoliberalist arguments relate to individualism, privatisation and decentralisation. A basic idea is that individuals should be allowed to make choices about their health care and health risks: social justice approaches are community based and often government led. It is assumed that the role of government is to make sound policy to prevent and treat illness. Beliefs are closed aligned to other political beliefs about personal vs state responsibilities. Individuals feel their freedom is curtailed: businesses and other agencies such as schools often enforce compliance at a cost.
