In recent years, we’re starting to see the increased importance of community health and welfare as opposed to individualistic care. The COVID-19 pandemic, in particular, has highlighted how it can be impossible for the community to prosper if even a small minority is suffering. Promoting health for the entire community is thus something that everyone needs to contribute to. There are several steps people can take to ensure that they create a healthier society for themselves, the people around them, and the upcoming generations. However, if you’re working in the healthcare sector, there is increased responsibility on your shoulders to give back to your community.
You can take several steps as a member of the healthcare community to ensure that your community becomes as healthy as possible. If you’re interested in learning more, keep reading below.
- Adopt research-backed approaches
The healthcare sector, in general, has evolved immensely from what it used to be and has shifted far away from being the trial-and-error system it once used to be. Now, healthcare systems are incredibly complex and rely on the latest research whenever testing the efficacy of any new treatment method. If you want to promote public health in your community, staying current on the latest research is the first step to consider.
The latest developments in the healthcare sector can help you figure out the most effective ways to give back to your community. This can involve developing a deep-seated understanding of how socioeconomic, political, and genetic factors can influence public health. Doing so can be super complex, though, and an advanced degree can be essential to help you develop a holistic understanding of public health.
Luckily, a public health degree can be super easy to complete online at your own pace. A comprehensive online MPH can help you prepare for a lucrative career while also having the opportunity to make a positive difference in your community.
- Focus on pollution
One of the key factors that influence public health is pollution. We now live in a world more heavily polluted than ever before, where every aspect of the environment becomes increasingly more toxic.
When we think of pollution, it’s usually the most obvious kind – littering – that comes to mind. However, several other more insidious kinds of pollution can be all around us.
Water, air, and even sound pollution can contribute heavily to communities being unhealthy. Whereas water pollution can be hard to control directly, air and sound pollution can be reduced by individual effort. Carpooling, using other means of transport, such as bikes, and using public transport can help reduce individual carbon emissions. Moreover, doing so can help reduce sound pollution too.
Sound pollution, in particular, may not seem so dangerous, but it can cause headaches, problems focusing, hearing problems, and extreme irritability, especially for those living in the heart of the city.
- Encourage healthier eating
Eating habits can have a huge impact on our health, and if you want to encourage a healthier community, then encouraging healthy eating habits is essential. Our diet these days can be incredibly unhealthy, consisting mainly of processed, sugary and oily foods devoid of any nutritional value. Consuming such food regularly might leave you feeling satiated but will keep your body undernourished.
With time, such a diet can lead to serious health issues, especially for children. These health issues can include heart disease, obesity, tooth decay, cancer, and diabetes, and this list is nowhere near exhaustive. Encouraging healthier eating is thus imperative if you want to reduce the burden on the healthcare system and help people improve their lives for the better. Making fresh food easily available is one of the key ways. Encouraging farmer’s markets is an excellent way to make healthy, fresh food easily accessible to local populations. Additionally, advocating for healthier produce to be subsidized or easily available in schools and offices can help people develop healthy habits.
- Encourage an active lifestyle
An increasingly sedentary lifestyle is yet another one of the reasons why several health issues are on the rise in young and old populations alike. Much of our work and education is done online, without much need to move about. We travel in cars or buses without ever needing to exert ourselves physically.
While all this can be incredibly convenient, it can lead to several health drawbacks in the long run.
In particular, this can have long-lasting implications for children who grow up without the active lifestyle they need. Educating the public on the need to stay physically active can be incredibly important and can help families make lifestyle changes for the better. Additionally, more active measures, such as forming clubs, can help galvanize the public into adopting a more physical lifestyle. Cycling to work, jogging, and forming gym clubs can help people stick to a healthier lifestyle.
- Promote mental health awareness
When it comes to public health, the aspect that often goes most ignored is mental health. While physical health is a necessary component to consider, mental health is equally, if not more important. When left unchecked, bad mental health can seriously impact your personal and professional life and your physical health.
Lack of mental health awareness is one huge reason such problems often go unchecked until the last moment. Most people still consider getting checked out by a therapist a taboo and instead, wait until their problems exacerbate immensely. Educating the public on how mental health issues are just as valid as physical health problems is essential to solving such problems.
Additionally, making mental health providers easier to access, such as through teletherapy and workshops, can help people open up to the idea of seeking mental health services.
Conclusion
Promoting better health across communities can be a tasking job, but one that can be incredibly rewarding. For the best results, it’s important to consider the situation from all aspects and ensure that you can provide holistic solutions. Keeping these tips in mind can help you ensure that you can benefit the community positively and bring about a lasting impact.