SCHOOL
A school is an institution designed for the teaching of students (or "pupils") under the
direction of teachers. Most countries have systems of
formal education, which is commonly compulsory.
In these systems, students progress through a series of schools. The names for
these schools vary by country (discussed in the Regional section below), but
generally include primary school
for young children and secondary
school for teenagers who have completed primary education. An
institution where higher
education is taught is commonly called a university
college or university.
COMMUNITY
The term community has two distinct meanings: 1) A group
of interacting people, living in some proximity (i.e., in space, time, or
relationship). Community usually refers to a social unit larger than a household that shares common values and
has social cohesion.
The term can also refer to the national community
or international
community, and, 2) in biology,
a community is a group of interacting
living organisms
sharing a populated environment.
A community is a group or society, helping each other.
COMMUNITY HEALTH
Community health, a field of public health, is a discipline that
concerns itself with the study and betterment of the health characteristics of
biological communities. While the term community can be broadly defined,
community health tends to focus on geographic areas rather than people with
shared characteristics. The health characteristics of a community are often
examined using geographic
information system (GIS) software and public health datasets. Some projects,
such as InfoShare or GEOPROJ combine GIS with existing datasets, allowing the
general public to examine the characteristics of any given community in the
United States.
Because health III (broadly defined as well-being)
is influenced by a wide array of socio-demographic characteristics, relevant
variables range from the proportion of residents of a given age group to the
overall life expectancy of the neighborhood. Medical interventions aimed at
improving the health of a community range from improving access to medical care
to public health communications campaigns. Recent research efforts have focused
on how the built environment and socio-economic status affect health.
In Africa, community health is studied in three
broad categories:
1.
Primary health
care which refers to interventions that focuses on the individual or
family such as hand-washing, immunisation,
circumcision and use of condoms etc.
2.
Secondary health care refers to those activities which focus
on the environment such as draining puddles of water near the house, clearing
bushes and spraying insecticides to control vectors like mosquitoes.
3.
Tertiary health care on the other hand refers to those
interventions that take place in a hospital setting such as intravenous re-hydration or surgery.
ROLE OF PUBLIC HEALTH
Public health has been described as "the
science and art of preventing disease, prolonging life and promoting health
through the organized efforts and informed choices of society, organizations,
public and private, communities and individuals. It is concerned with threats
to the overall health of a community based on population health analysis. The population
in question can be as small as a handful of people or as large as all the
inhabitants of several continents (for instance, in the case of a pandemic). Public health has many
sub-fields, but typically includes the interdisciplinary categories of epidemiology, biostatistics and health services. Environmental
health, community
health, behavioral
health, and occupational
health are also important areas of public health.
The focus of public health interventions is to
prevent and manage diseases, injuries and other health conditions through
surveillance of cases and the promotion of healthy behavior, communities,
and (in aspects relevant to human health) environments.
Its aim is to prevent health problems from happening or re-occurring by
implementing educational
programs, developing policies, administering services, and
conducting research. In many cases, treating a
disease or controlling a pathogen
can be vital to preventing it in others, such as during an outbreak. Vaccination programs and distribution of condoms to prevent the spread of communicable
diseases are examples of common preventive public health measures,
as are educational campaigns to promote vaccination and the use of condoms
(including overcoming resistance to such).
Public health also takes various actions to limit
the health disparities between different areas of the country and, in some cases, the continent or world. One issue is the access of individuals and communities
to health care in terms of financial, geographical or sociocultural constraints
to accessing and using services. Applications of the public health system include
the areas of maternal
and child health, health services administration, emergency response, and
prevention and control of infectious
and chronic
diseases.
The great positive impact of public health programs
is widely acknowledged. Due in part to the policies and actions developed
through public health, the 20th century registered a decrease in the mortality
rates for infants and children and a continual increase in life expectancy in most parts of the
world. For example, it is estimated that life expectancy has increased for
Americans by thirty years since 1900, and worldwide by six years since
1990.
HEALTH
Health is the level of functional or metabolic
efficiency of a living being. In humans, it is the general
condition of a person's mind, body and spirit, usually
meaning to be free from illness, injury or pain (as in "good
health" or "healthy"). The World
Health Organization (WHO) defined health in its broader sense in
1946 as "a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and
not merely the absence of disease or infirmity."
HOW THE SCHOOL CAN
PROMOTE COMMUNITY HEALTH
The school is an institution that can be of great importance to the
community it is located especially in the aspect of health. The following are
ways in which the school can help the community;
1. Giving health talks to
the community on how to maintain an healthy lifestyle.
2. Performing voluntary
services to the community.
3. Informing the community
on the prevention and control of communicable and non communicable diseases.
4. Giving funds for
promoting health in the community.
5. Engaging in environmental
sanitation and cleaning of the environment for disease prevention.
FACTORS THAT CAN AFFECT HEALTH
Individual
health depends in part upon a number of factors that a person has control over,
including diet, exercise, alcohol and drug use, and stress levels. Those born
into families with a history of illness or disease, such as dementia or cancer,
should pay special attention to whatever factors they can control in order to
live the healthiest life possible.
1. Sleep
According to WebMD.com, the average amount of sleep needed for teenagers and adults is seven to 10 hours a day. The consequences of too little sleep include "Memory problems, Depression, [and] A weakening of your immune system, increasing your chance of becoming sick" (WebMD.com). Sleep disturbance and deprivation are known to increase one's mortality risk faster than smoking and high blood pressure. Furthermore, actual sleep disorders often go undiagnosed while over 70 million Americans suffer from at least one of the 85 diagnosable sleep disorders.
According to WebMD.com, the average amount of sleep needed for teenagers and adults is seven to 10 hours a day. The consequences of too little sleep include "Memory problems, Depression, [and] A weakening of your immune system, increasing your chance of becoming sick" (WebMD.com). Sleep disturbance and deprivation are known to increase one's mortality risk faster than smoking and high blood pressure. Furthermore, actual sleep disorders often go undiagnosed while over 70 million Americans suffer from at least one of the 85 diagnosable sleep disorders.
2. Stress
High stress levels have been linked to heart disease, high blood pressure, headaches and migraines, depression, erectile dysfunction and essential tremors. While all people experience stress from time to time, stress that occurs "too often or lasts too long...can have bad effects. It can be linked to headaches, an upset stomach, back pain, and trouble sleeping. It can weaken your immune system, making it harder to fight off disease. If you already have a health problem, stress may make it worse" (WebMD.com). First, one must learn how to recognize abnormally high stress levels, determine where the stress is coming from, then take practical steps to eliminate or reduce it.
High stress levels have been linked to heart disease, high blood pressure, headaches and migraines, depression, erectile dysfunction and essential tremors. While all people experience stress from time to time, stress that occurs "too often or lasts too long...can have bad effects. It can be linked to headaches, an upset stomach, back pain, and trouble sleeping. It can weaken your immune system, making it harder to fight off disease. If you already have a health problem, stress may make it worse" (WebMD.com). First, one must learn how to recognize abnormally high stress levels, determine where the stress is coming from, then take practical steps to eliminate or reduce it.
3. Substance
Abuse
The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states that "Alcohol affects every organ in the body. It is a central nervous system depressant...the liver can only metabolize a small amount of alcohol at a time, leaving the excess alcohol to circulate throughout the body" (CDC.gov). Binge drinking and other substance abuse can result in an increased risk of certain cancers, stroke and liver diseases. Substances that impair judgment also may give the user an exaggerated sense of self-confidence, which may result in dangerous activity such as drunk driving.
The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states that "Alcohol affects every organ in the body. It is a central nervous system depressant...the liver can only metabolize a small amount of alcohol at a time, leaving the excess alcohol to circulate throughout the body" (CDC.gov). Binge drinking and other substance abuse can result in an increased risk of certain cancers, stroke and liver diseases. Substances that impair judgment also may give the user an exaggerated sense of self-confidence, which may result in dangerous activity such as drunk driving.
4. Activity
Level
According to a survey done in 2008 published by the CDC, only 32.5 percent of U.S. adults engage in physical activity during their leisure time. Exercising regularly strengthens the heart and cardiovascular system, lowers blood pressure, strengthens bones, helps reduce stress and anxiety, improves sleep and improves circulation, among other things (WebMD.com). The recommended amount of exercise for optimal health is at least 20 to 30 minutes three or four times a week; however, individuals should seek their doctor's opinion based on their current weight and fitness level.
5. Nutrition
The Harvard School of Public Health states that "when all the evidence is looked at together...the best nutrition advice on what to eat is relatively straightforward: Eat a plant-based diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains; choose healthy fats, like olive and canola oil; and eat red meat and unhealthy fats, like saturated and trans fats, sparingly. Most important of all is keeping calories in check, so you can avoid weight gain". All people will require a unique amount of calories to maintain their ideal weight. See the Resources section for a personal diet evaluator provided by WebMD.com.
According to a survey done in 2008 published by the CDC, only 32.5 percent of U.S. adults engage in physical activity during their leisure time. Exercising regularly strengthens the heart and cardiovascular system, lowers blood pressure, strengthens bones, helps reduce stress and anxiety, improves sleep and improves circulation, among other things (WebMD.com). The recommended amount of exercise for optimal health is at least 20 to 30 minutes three or four times a week; however, individuals should seek their doctor's opinion based on their current weight and fitness level.
5. Nutrition
The Harvard School of Public Health states that "when all the evidence is looked at together...the best nutrition advice on what to eat is relatively straightforward: Eat a plant-based diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains; choose healthy fats, like olive and canola oil; and eat red meat and unhealthy fats, like saturated and trans fats, sparingly. Most important of all is keeping calories in check, so you can avoid weight gain". All people will require a unique amount of calories to maintain their ideal weight. See the Resources section for a personal diet evaluator provided by WebMD.com.
6. Lifestyle
and Health
Lifestyle -- or a typical way of life, as health specialists often define it -- could affect an individual's health and life expectancy. An imbalanced diet or bad eating habits might cause a person to develop chronic diseases, such as diabetes and hypertension, down the road. A sedentary lifestyle -- or one with little exercise -- also might not foster good health and physical fitness. Other habits that could adversely affect a person's metabolism include consuming too much saturated fat and starch, abusing alcohol and using illicit drugs, such as cocaine and heroin. Obesity also causes an individual to experience health problems and could lead to diseases and risky conditions including high cholesterol, diabetes and heart disease.
Lifestyle -- or a typical way of life, as health specialists often define it -- could affect an individual's health and life expectancy. An imbalanced diet or bad eating habits might cause a person to develop chronic diseases, such as diabetes and hypertension, down the road. A sedentary lifestyle -- or one with little exercise -- also might not foster good health and physical fitness. Other habits that could adversely affect a person's metabolism include consuming too much saturated fat and starch, abusing alcohol and using illicit drugs, such as cocaine and heroin. Obesity also causes an individual to experience health problems and could lead to diseases and risky conditions including high cholesterol, diabetes and heart disease.
REFERENCES
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Organization. 1946. [www.who.int/bulletin/archives/80(12)981.pdf WHO definition
of Health], Preamble to the Constitution of the World Health Organization as
adopted by the International Health Conference, New York, 19–22 June 1946;
signed on 22 July 1946 by the representatives of 61 States (Official Records of
the World Health Organization, no. 2, p. 100) and entered into force on 7 April
1948.
3.
World Health
Organization. 2006. Constitution of the World Health Organization
- Basic Documents, Forty-fifth edition, Supplement, October 2006.
4.
Callahan D.
"The WHO definition of 'health'." The Hastings Center Studies, 1(3),
1973 - http://www.jstor.org/pss/3527467
5.
Jadad AR,
O'Grady L. "How should health be defined?" BMJ 2008; 337:a2900 - http://www.bmj.com/cgi/content/full/337/dec10_1/a2900
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Nutter S.
2003. The Health Triangle. Anchor Points, Inc.
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World Health
Organization. The Ottawa Charter for Health Promotion.
Adopted at the First International Conference on Health Promotion, Ottawa, 21
November 1986 - WHO/HPR/HEP/95.1.
11. Lalonde,
Marc. "A New Perspective on the Health of
Canadians." Ottawa: Minister of Supply and Services; 1974.
12. Housman,
Jeff; Dorman, Steve (September/October 2005). "The Alameda County Study: A Systematic,
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Retrieved 27 December 2011.
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