NR 222 Week 7 Health Promotion Strategies

NR 222 Week 7 Health Promotion Strategies

Name

Chamberlain University

NR-222 Health & Wellness

Prof. Name

Date

Health Promotion Strategies

According to the Healthy People 2020 website, the 2020 Leading Health Indicator (LHI) for social determinants focuses on measuring the national health indicator based on the percentage of “students who graduate with a regular diploma within four years after starting 9th grade” (para. 11). Based on this data, the United States has shown both improvement and areas of concern. In 2010, 79% of students achieved this milestone, and by the 2016-2017 academic year, this percentage had increased to 85%, just shy of the 87% target set by Healthy People 2020. Although this progress is promising, it raises questions about the completeness of the data, as it was collected from only three states: Idaho, Kentucky, and Oklahoma. This limited sample may impact the generalizability of the findings and the validity of the conclusions drawn from them.

This issue is crucial to the health of the nation, as high school dropout rates are linked to numerous long-term health consequences. As reported by Healthy People 2020, dropping out of high school can lead to “limited employment prospects, low wages, and poverty,” which are all determinants of an individual’s overall health. Without a high school diploma, individuals may struggle to secure jobs that offer health benefits, resulting in reduced access to preventive care and other health services. This contributes to long-term negative health outcomes, highlighting the need for improved educational attainment as part of broader health promotion efforts.

Table: Health Promotion Strategies and Outcomes

Importance of High School Graduation to Public Health

High school graduation is an essential social determinant of health. Research has shown that individuals who fail to graduate are more likely to experience poor health outcomes due to several interconnected factors. These include limited access to stable employment, lower income, and reduced access to employer-provided health benefits. This situation decreases their ability to engage in preventive healthcare practices, leading to a greater risk of chronic illnesses and other health issues over their lifetimes. Thus, improving high school graduation rates can lead to better public health outcomes by addressing these underlying social determinants.

References

High School Graduation. (n.d.). Healthy People 2020. Retrieved from https://www.healthypeople.gov/2020/topics-objectives/topic/social-determinants-health/interventions-resources/high-school-graduation

NR 222 Week 7 Health Promotion Strategies

Students graduating from high school within 4 years of starting 9th grade (percent). (2020). Healthy People 2020. Retrieved from https://www.healthypeople.gov/2020/data/Chart/3949?category=1