Free Essay About Healthy People 2020

What is Healthy People?

Healthy people are responsible for provides national objectives for a period of ten years that is targeted at improving the health of all American people. It is commonly science-based. Healthy people target has been to increases and promotes collaborations between various communities and sectors in an effort to streamline the health sector. Additionally, it has sought to foster and aid individuals I making health decisions that will be based on relevant information. Healthy People has been able to measure the influence of different prevention activities through trying to attain its various objective (G.H. P., 2015).

Healthy People Goals

One of the Healthy People goals is targeting to achieve, high-quality lives of all Americans that ensures the lives of Americans is free of preventable diseases, injury, premature death and disability (HealtyPeople). Secondly, the health sector is not adequately streamlined, thus Healthy People targets to attain health equity, increase the health of all individuals across all age and race and remove any disparities in the health system. The third goal is to develop a healthy environment both in a social and physical capacity that will promote health for all people. The fourth goal is to uphold the quality of life, promote healthy development and behaviors in all life stages of individuals. Retrieved from: http://www.healthypeople.gov./.

How was Healthy People Developed?

Healthy People has been drawn up through a continuous process that has involved the use of resources and knowledge from different individuals, groups and organizations. Most of the many objectives designed for the Healthy People 2020 have emanated from sources that are reliable and provide a baseline measure for specific goals to be met by 2020. It was unveiled by the U.S Department of Health and Human Services (G.H. P., 2015).
Discuss the 4 foundation health measures: General Health Status, Health-Related Quality of Life and Well-Being, Determinants of Health and Disparities using the following guide

Components and measurement of General Health Status

Measures of general health give information about the health of a particular population. Healthy People assesses the status of health of the U.S people by monitoring various disciplines such as life expectancy, health life expectancy, years of potential life lost, physically and mentally unhealthy days, self-assessed health status, limitation of activity and chronic disease prevalence (G.H. P., 2015).
Life expectancy (With International Comparison) refers to a summary mortality measure that is used in describing the general status of health of a given population. Life expectancy is the average number of years that a people of a certain age will be expected to live. Healthy People 2020 screens life expectancy measures such as at birth and age 65 years (G.H. P., 2015).
International Comparison of Life Expectancy is a standard measure in international health comparison. The U.S ranks 27th and 26th out of 33 countries in its group of Organization for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD) (G.H. P., 2015).
Healthy Life Expectancy can be defined as average number of years that are healthy in which a person expects living if death rates and morbidity rates are the same throughout their lifetime (G.H. P., 2015).
Years of Potential Life Lost (With International Comparison) are a summary measure of mortality rate that is premature. Additionally, Self-Assessed Health Status is a measure of how an individual perceives their health. Chronic Diseases cause 7 out of 10 deaths per year thus having a prevalence of 70% (G.H. P., 2015).
.Components and measurement of Health-Related Quality of Life and Well-Being
Health-related quality of life is a concept that contains disciplines that have a relation to physical, emotional, mental and social functioning. It is beyond direct population health measures, and life expectancy and causes of death thus focusing on the effect of health status on the life quality. Well-being is a concept related to HRQoL and assesses the positive aspects of the life of a person like positive emotions and life satisfaction (G.H. P., 2015).
Public health officials and clinicians use the concept of measuring the effects of chronic illnesses, treatments and short and long-term disabilities. Healthy People 2020 evaluate the following actions in the monitoring of HRQoL and well-being in the US (G.H. P., 2015).
Patient Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) Global Health Measure that assesses global physical, mental and social HRQoL. This is through questions about self-rated health, mental HRQoL, pain, fatigue among others. In addition, there are Well-Being Measures. They assess positive evaluations of the daily lives of people and Participation Measures that reflect individual tests of the effect of their health on participation, socially, within their environments. The participation encompasses employment, education, civic and others (G.H. P., 2015).

Components and measurement of Determinants of Health

Determinants of health are what make some people healthy and others unhealthy. Health People 2020 explore questions such as development of objectives to address the relation that exists between health status and biology, individual behavior and others and emphasizing an approach that is ecological to disease prevention and health prevention
The determinants are in categories such as policymaking, social factors, Health services, Individual Behavior, Biology, and Genetics. The categories have subdivisions within that highlight the individual elements. For instance, social factors include residential congregation, quality schools, public safety, and transportation options among others (Sharma & Romans, 2011).

Components and measurement of Disparities

In terms of disparities, Healthy People 2020 strives to improve the health of all groups of people irrespective of sex, ethnicity, age, disability, socioeconomic status among others. (G.H. P., 2015).
Healthy People 2020 define Health disparities as a type of health difference that is closely associated with economic, social, and environmental disadvantage. Health disparities affect profoundly groups of people who have experienced greater hindrances to health basing on their ethnic group; socioeconomic status; religion; age; gender; cognitive; mental health; , sensory, or physical disability; sex identity; physical location; or others such as historically linked to discrimination or exclusion (Sharma & Romans, 2011).
Health People 2020 will assess the population of the US through tracking illnesses, deaths, chronic conditions, behaviors among others without any form of discrimination.

In what ways does each foundation measure contribute to the overall health of a community?

General Health Status measure contributes to the health of the US community through making the population aware of their status be conversant of the potential life expectancy, international comparison to life expectancy among others. The population can hence carry out the necessary changes (Shi & Stevens, 2010).
Health-Related Quality of Life and Well-Being assists in the mental, social, psychological and physical wellbeing. The society can, therefore, have a proper development of the above areas and hence avoid possible problems (G.H. P., 2015).
Determinants of Health assist the community in knowing which factors make some healthier than others. The determinants help people in applying the best factors and avoiding those that may lead to ill health (Shi & Stevens, 2010).
Disparities help the society in avoiding such measures as discrimination in terms of race, age, sex, ethnicity and others. The disparities can be avoided and ensure a healthy and equal US society (G.H. P., (2015).

References

Government, H. P. (2015). Healthy People 2020 is looking for real stories from organizations implementing innovative programs to target specific Leading Health Indicators. Healthy People Government, Retrieved March 15, 2015 From www.healthypeople.gov/2020/leading-health-indicators/2020-LHI-Topics
Shi, L & Stevens, G, D. (2010). Vulnerable Populations in the United States. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons.
Sharma, M & Romans, J, A. (2011). Theoretical Foundations of Health Education and Health Promotion. Burlington,MA: Jones & Bartlett Learning.
Retrieved on March 15, 2015 from http://www.healthypeople.gov./