The major health challenge faced by individuals living within Newark revolves around sexually transmitted diseases. Based on the community`s medical statistics over four thousand individuals have had one of two common STD`s within the region. The common STD`s within Newark include Chlamydia and gonorrhea. Of the over four thousand individuals, 3,022 have had Chlamydia while 1,228 have had gonorrhea. The rational implemented while choosing the STD`s included identifying a health issue that closely links with reproductive health as identified within the healthy people 2020 (Office of Population Affairs, 2010). In addition, the rational also involved considering the population and the health issue that affects individuals within their adolescent.
Considering that, the adolescent and young adult age group appears to have great influence within the society. Further, while considering the health issue that required urgent education promotion the team factored in the statistics obtained from medical studies conducted within Newark in 2012. Having all these issues to consider, the team selected STD`s like a health issue that requires urgent health education promotion within the region. From this point, the team sought to establish an implementable plan to promote health education within the region. The health promotion deals with the STD`s and the adolescent and young adult generation in Newark.
Short-term objectives of the health plan
The short-term goals indicate the goals that the implementation of the health education program seeks to achieve during the implementation period and few weeks after the health education promotion. The promotion program has some short-term objectives, which should appear within the behavior and health of the individuals who reside in Newark. Within the period of conducting the health education promotion program, the individuals within the target age group should seek testing services to establish their status. The education promotion seeks to increase the number of self-aware individuals. The outcome for increasing the self-aware individuals reflects on the target group having the tests performed on them (Health Service Executive, 2010).
Secondly, the program seeks to raise the information search and access especially on the information that relates to the STD`s. Information appears as a key tool in the demystification of the myths that revolve around sex and STD`s within the community. With the implementation of the program, the individuals will seek to access more details regarding the health issue. Further, the search and access to this information will enable the individuals to develop an understanding for the STD`s. Understanding the health condition from a medical view with the access to research material will help in achieving the myths (PeÌrez & Luquis, 2008). Individuals who experience the said symptoms will have a better chance in seeking medical care through the program.
The research established that the health condition continues to rise within the Newark community because speaking about sex, and STD`s appears as taboo. The health education promotion will facilitate talks about sex and the health conditions, which relate to sex. The education promotion will present an open forum in learning institutions when the participants talk openly on matters relating to sex. With the openness in the talks, the individuals who suffer in silence will also stand out and consult with the health practitioners conducting the health education and promotion program (PeÌrez & Luquis, 2008). The objective of holding open forums during the promotion program revolves around enabling the Newark community to talk openly and seek medical information regarding sex and STD`s.
Finally, the education promotion seeks to provide information related to reproductive health to individuals within their adolescent. Reproductive health among adolescents and young adults appear as a key component in healthy people 2020. Considering that, the health education program seeks to combine the goals of healthy people 2020 with specific community health goals, the reproductive health promotion will move in line with the said goals (Office of Population Affairs, 2010). The target group will exhibit more caution regarding STD`s and their effect on the reproductive system. Most individuals within the target group lack details and enlightenment regarding the consequences of STD`s on their reproductive health. The target group also requires information regarding how they may handle childbirth while having a STD.
Long-term objectives of the health promotion plan
The long-term goals seek to address the STD issue within Newark community. Within the next 36 months, the community should have 99% of the young adults knowing their status regarding STD`s including HIV/AID`s. It goes along with the goal of increasing the number of tested individuals within the Newark community for the education period. Further, after the health promotion implementation the team expects to have 85% of the entire Newark community having gone through the testing. The target group, which includes the adolescents and young adults, has great influence within the community.
With a target group embracing the testing and the education, they will influence the older individuals to seek the testing services.
Within the next 18 months of implementation, 95% of individuals within the target group will have sought to access medical information from medical libraries and online databases. Further, the target generation will use verified medical research to demystify myths that they encounter regarding sex and STD`s. The target group will also seek additional information regarding reproductive health (Office of Population Affairs, 2010).
In addition, within two months after implementation 99% of the target group will change from promiscuous sexual activities. The change from promiscuity will facilitate 99% reduction in the new infection rates. The community will also record 95% reduction in the re-infection rate. While practicing one partner sex, the target group will have the ability to reduce the new infections, as well as re-infections. Reducing the re-infection and infection rate translates to a general reduction in the health problem (Mertz, et. al 2009).
Finally, within the long term the health promotion will achieve a 98% increase in medical consultations by the community. The individuals will talk freely about sex, and STD`s they will also seek information regarding health conditions that revolve around sexual activities. A similar reduction will appear in the infection rate from expectant mothers to their unborn babies. Along with the reduction of infection and re-infection rates, the individuals will also have safer sex practices (Mertz, et.al, 2009).
Community Based Participatory Plan
The plan
Learning institutions provide space for individuals to interact and have the facilities where people can access information. The plan to involve the community within bridging the health gap for the next three years involves planning for music concerts and film exhibitions with a sexual health theme. Considering that Newark has produced a globally reorganized star then making arrangements for the film exhibitions and talent searches does not pose a challenge for the health promotion team. With a $300,000 grant, the health team will manage to set up different exhibitions each year, which will have different activities but the same sexual health theme. During these exhibitions, the health team will offer counseling and testing services for individuals who volunteer. Furthermore, the exhibitions during the three years will involve three stakeholders; the community, the health promotion team and the local celebrities.
First year
During the first year, the exhibition should include a music concert and music talent search. The individuals living within Newark will participate in the music concert along with Queen Latifa (an international star from Newark). For individuals to participate, they will have to perform the tests. The concert will also serve as a talent search with the winners having a chance to record one music album along with Queen Latifa. The album production will have full funding from the grant awarded.
Second Year
The health promotion team will hold a film exhibition. During the exhibition, Queen Latifa along with other stars from local environs will exhibit their films. In addition, the local community will participate in groups in the local exhibition. The films will undergo rating and the best film will receive a cash price. The film exhibition will also have a sexual health theme. For attendance and participation, individuals will have the opportunity to perform the tests.
Third year
Considering that the program will have succeeded within the community, the third year will involve a weeklong open forum where the individuals will share their experiences. Further, during the third year the local celebrities and local community leaders. These selected groups have influence on the community. The third year will also have a community celebration within Newark to celebrate the improvement in health for the community.
The medical campaign targeting the community will include radio talk show, which will feature individuals who have experienced the behavioral, and health changes. The radio talk show will have a medical professional from the health promotion team as the host. The guests on the show will include individuals from the target group who have benefited from the health education program. Other guests will include medical researchers who have conducted studies on the STD`s and adolescent sexual activities. Finally, the talk show will involve local professionals who have succeeded within the Newark community and leant in the education system within Newark (Health Service Executive, 2010).
Queen Latifa will serve as a media personality to advocate and represent the campaign on billboards and the team’s website. She holds influence among the target group and can help the team in publicizing and mobilizing the target group to the forums (Higgins, Lavin, & Metcalfe, 2008). Community leaders will receive awards from the grant at the end of each exhibition for participation and their role in mobilization and success of the health promotion program.
Outcome evaluation techniques
The outcome evaluation techniques will enable the implementation team to establish the success of the program and make appropriate changes within the implementation stages. In addition, the outcome evaluation will enable the smooth flow of measurement for the program to the community. The evaluation will include questionnaires, which seek to establish the effectiveness of the program from the stakeholders. It will enable the team to receive feedback from the recipients of the intervention program.
For the process evaluation, the team will evaluate the effectiveness by considering the objectives during the implementation along with the outcomes. The process evaluation will also involve discussing the potential changes within the implementation involving the involved parties. The success will include high participation by the target group and larger Newark community along with an increase in the tests conducted by the health team onto the community`s members. With the attainment of the increase and decrease, percentages as projected in the outcome expectations it will indicate success (Higgins, Lavin & Metcalfe, 2008). If the team identifies that the program fails to meet the projections during its implementation then, it will apply control measures. Considering that, the program will take place as a continuous program, and then the outcome evaluation will proceed over the entire program.
For the outcome evaluation, the team will design and use questionnaires among the participants to receive the feedback regarding the success and difficulties of the program. The outcome evaluation from the participants will also include focus groups, which will study the population within and after the programming period. The focus group will use the health promotion plan to evaluate the actual results along with a laid out plan (Higgins, Lavin, & Metcalfe, 2008). The success from this technique will appear while the community reacts to the program and the effects on health and social behavior after the beginning of the program and later after its completion.
The suggested questionnaire will enable the team to evaluate the feedback and the actual visible progress of the Newark society.
Questions include:
Did the program access the community and individuals as expected?
Have you experienced the programs impact in personal health?
Any personal behavioral changes experienced?
Have you perceived any changes among the individuals who participated in the promotion program?
Can the health promotion team perform other promotional activities?
Will the impact continue guiding the society or will they change after the promotion program?
Does the openness campaign affect social interactions within Newark?
Health Development Policy
Having identified myths and inadequate access to health information regarding STD`s and sex as a key issue then the policy makers need to formulate regulations which facilitate access to information. Further, the target age group consists of students and individuals in higher learning institutions (Sharma & Romas, 2008). Therefore, policy change and development should also focus on the education curriculum. Education serves as a tool, which may change the perception of the involved individuals.
The policy change should change the content leant within the learning institutions to incorporate information regarding the STD`s and sexual practices. The information will enable the teachers and tutors to change the learner’s perspective regarding the health issue. In addition, each institution should have a full time health professional who offers consultation on sexual health issues to the target group (Sharma & Romas, 2008). Considering that these adolescents shy away from speaking about these health conditions, the health professional will facilitate openness from the target group. The health professionals should maintain the patient confidentiality. Most individuals within the target group see the symptoms and body changes but fear to seek the treatment because of stigmatization. In addition, individuals who seek these services may seem as immoral to the other individuals within the Newark community. For this reason, patient confidentiality assures the individuals who will undergo testing that their status will not go public.
The policy change to the school curriculum will facilitate the demystification of the sexual health myths held by individuals within the target community (Sharma & Romas, 2008). Myths hinder the target group from understanding the nature of STD`s from medical research and valid information sources. Placing the research within the leant school curriculum will ensure that the target group accesses valid and verified information regarding sexual health. Information places the target group at a better position in protecting their sexual health and involvement in sex.
Conclusion
Through the health promotion program, the team identified some community strengths and deficits of the project. One strength lies within the community’s acceptance and embracing the promotion program. The target group from the program now practice safer sex and have slightly reduced the promiscuity. The Newark community continues to face challenges with practicing single partner sex. The condoms distributed by the health promotion team offer protection from the health problem and the individuals consider that as enough protection from the STD`s. Such perceptions continue to place the community at risk. The education regarding promiscuity should take the moral perspective.
References
Office of Population Affairs, (2010). Reproductive Health and Healthy People 2020. Office of Population Affairs, 5(1), 1-38.
Health Service Executive, H. S. (2010). The Health Promotion Strategic Framework. Health Service Executive, 54(2), 4-66.
Higgins, C., Lavin, T., & Metcalfe, O. (2008). Institute of Public Health. Health Impacts of Education a review, 1(3), 3-38.
Mertz, K., Finelli, L., Levine, W., Mognoni, R., Berman, S., Fishbein, M., St. Louis, M. (2009).
Gonorrhea in male adolescents and young adults in Newark: implications of risk factors and
Patient preferences for prevention strategies. Sexually Transmitted Diseases, 27(4), 201-207.
PeÌrez, M. A., & Luquis, R. R. (2008). Cultural competence in health education and health promotion. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Sharma, M., & Romas, J. A. (2008). Theoretical foundations of health education and health promotion. Sudbury, Mass.: Jones and Bartlett Publishers.
