Nov 19, 2020 in Health

The Ecological Approach to Health

The Ecological Approach to Health



The research will address tobacco use as a health problem in the community because smoking has been a serious cause of many deaths in the community recently. It is the issue of high concern because, in spite of being preventable, it possesses a hazardous effect both on tobacco users and those who are around them. Tobacco smokers inflict themselves on certain health consequences, such as multiple types of cancer, like lung cancer and throat cancer, heart diseases, pulmonary diseases, and adverse reproductive complications. Approximately one million Americans die from tobacco smoking each year (Centers for Disease Control, 2014).

The research will focus on the adult population of both men and women in the United States. The adult US populations also include the youths starting from the age of 21 years to the octogenarian population, who are in their 70s and 80s. Statistics indicate that one out of four American adults currently uses some form of tobacco substances and one out of five is cigarette smoker. The tobacco use problem is compounded , as far as the health consequences associated with tobacco do not end with the users only. Although the comprehensive measures were undertaken in order to reduce the cases of careless smoking, especially as regards indoors and public smokers, a large number of American population are still victims of tobacco due to the passive smoking exposure. Passive smoking is as severe as direct smoking, as long as it leads to both deaths and diseases among adults and children (Centers for Disease Control, 2014).


Research indicates that there was a waning of tobacco use among adults in the late 1990s to 2003, but the decline rate has slowed down in the recent years since the number of youth adult smokers has increased in 2012, as many college students were reported as using tobacco products. The research of this topic is important because it will help to suggest compressive intervention measures to reduce negative health consequences on the deemed community.

Description of the Program

The program entitled Tobacco Control Program is set under such specific objectives: facilitation of quitting tobacco use among the adults and youths in general, the elimination of exposure to passive smoking and, finally, pinpointingof tobacco related discrepancies among population group. The programs mission is to eliminate disabilities cases, chronic ailments and deaths caused by tobacco usage.

The program will choose an approach that focuses on a synergy combination of educational and clinical control, as well as economic and social approaches. Under the educational approach the program plans to carry out sensitization campaigns via all kinds of media platforms, such as TVs and billboards campaigns. Under clinical regulatory approaches, the programs suggest the collaboration with the national healthcare system. The study indicates that many tobacco users have managed to quit smoking with the help of their physician who can put them in the program that assist in eliminating the problem. The government role comes out in the issue of economic approach (Centers for Disease Control, 2014). The US government ought to rise tax burden on tobacco products to make it expensive, thereby to discourage smoking. The social approach will entail the formation of youth oriented communication campaigns to curb the prevalence of tobacco consumption in the country. The program will involve a group of adult women and female college students who are willing to support the anti-tobacco use campaigns. The program will have its headquarters in Florida in the pilot stages, but later extent the initiative to other states.

Risk and Protective Factors Table

Risk Factors ( modifiable)

Risk factors (Unmodifiable)

Protective Factors

Other Substance Abuse, e.g. Alcohol

Antisocial conduct, e.g. Gang participation

Anti-smoking Education


Tobacco Company Advertising

Anti-smoking policies and programs

Emotional and Psychological problem

Academic Failure and drop out cases

Health Concerns

Level of Spectrum

Influencing Policies and legislation

1. Burn Cigarette smoking in public indoor places

2. Discourage purchase of tobacco products by rising its prices

Changes organizational practice

1. Establish Smoke free culture

2. Locate smoking zones to eliminate secondhand smoking effect

Foster coalition and network

1. Develop an anti-tobacco advertising campaign and appeal free print post and air time

2. Provide addiction recovery services to adolescent smokers

Educate providers

1. Provide intensive staff training in anti-smoking education.

2. Develop leaders and promote community pride and bonding.

Promote community education

1. Incorporate anti-tobacco education into all youth and adult curriculums

2. Deliver anti-smoking education along with other services in healthcare clinics.

Strengthening the individual Knowledge and skills

1. Educate individual on the dangers of tobacco

2. Involve victims and anti- tobacco supporters in the fight against tobacco use

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Community Context Matters

The interventions are specifically tailored to my community because it is the location I am well conversant with it. Moreover, they might provide an accurate result when implemented to other parts of the nation. I choose this kind of interventions because it appears realistic to execute and complete with less associated costs. The intervention might work effectively because all the participants, namely the school, the community and the state government, are truly interested in positive outcome. In addition, the community representatives will include those from the HealthCare department who can play a crucial role, especially in terms of tobacco addicts rehabilitation.

Community Health Promotion is Political

The anti- tobacco policies and program from the community and the state in general have proved to be effective in the combined intervention step. These policies, partnerships, and intervention approaches that are carried at both community and state levels have led to social behaviors and sensitization on tobacco dangers across the country (Glantz & Balbach, 2000). However, there are elements of laxity in funding of these programs. For instance, Californias, Richmond Quits Smoking Project was deterred back by a lack of financial support from the state government. Such instance pulls the ant-tobacco initiative back, preventing it from achieving its objective. Additionally, there are claims that the state judiciary has been lenient to smoking offenders by charging the small fines, which does not help in discouraging careless smoking in public places. The above problem can be resolved by urging the state place priority in this program for the benefit of the citizen and by reviewing the judicial standings on smoking.

There are Roles For Insiders And Outsiders

The program plans to collaborate with schools, community and the state government at large. The schools are expected to reduce the nearby tobacco selling joints and designate schools as general substance free zone. Additionally, the school can combine health education with as many ant-tobacco messages as possible in their multiple causes, apart from nursing and medicine. The community has a massive role to play. It has to prevent the sale of cigarettes to the young adults, as well as to be on the front line airing ant-tobacco sensitization campaigns and promoting quitting and recovery programs in collaboration with clinics. The state government has an economic, political, and legislative responsibility to help the program, Million of dollars were spent in the treating of patients ailing from tobacco related diseases, such as cancer, and this is a burden to the nation (Centers for Disease Control, 2014). The state has to reform the regulatory landscape and allow policy and implementation. Lastly, the state can minimize tobacco use by imposing heavy tax burden to raise the products prices and impose hefty fines to lawbreakers of anti-tobacco laws (Centers for Disease Control, 2014).

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As much as the rate of tobacco use has decreased, the declining rate is slow. The number contributing to the increasing proportion is the young adult population who are caught up regularly in cigarettes mania in the name of promotion and backing up celebrities. While conducting the study, I was surprised to discover than the women population ties at 50-50 % with male population in tobacco use within the US. Some of the protective factors that facilitate women to be highly involved in smoking are genetics concerns and myth of fear of weight gains. Upon the implementation of the program, I would like to conduct a comprehensive survey and determine whether the tobacco consumption rate has declined in the United States with the help of schools and HealthCare centres.


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