Promoting health in communities

Whatever choice you make, keep in mind that promoting health and wellness along with appropriate practical approaches can be incorporated within households, communities, schools, business and faith-based organisations.

Health promotion remains relevant at the local, regional, and international levels.

Studies show that chronic non-communicable diseases negatively impact health, can affect one’s quality of life, and overall contribute to death. In TT , heart disease, cancer, diabetes mellitus, and cerebrovascular disease together contribute to more than 60 percent of all deaths; the mortality distribution indicated heart disease (25.75 percent), malignant neoplasm (13.75 percent), diabetes mellitus (13.6 percent) and cerebrovascular (9.1 percent). The contributory factors included obesity, unhealthy diet, physical inactivity, high blood pressure, high blood sugar, and high cholesterol levels, and tobacco consumption and alcohol abuse. Also from a study conducted by the Caribbean Food and Nutrition Institute 2009-2010, the results showed that 23 percent of primary schoolchildren, 25 percent of secondary schoolchildren were overweight/ obese; while 14 percent of their counterparts were underweight (Ministry of Health 2016, 2011). Working together to prevent and/ or lower people’s potential risk for the chronic non-communicable diseases remains priority.

Today’s article will focus on community nutrition programmes.

Finding a solution The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention documented that community-based solutions are critical in working with persons to prevent chronic diseases, and also in seeking to improve and/or maintain the health of those individuals who may be already by chronic illnesses. In order to cultivate healthy communities, it indicated in its perspective “some main points to aid in achieving successful outcomes in the prevention of chronic diseases and to achieve health equity; these include: making an invaluable investment in communities; providing a venue and/or the utilisation of existing community centres so that the residents can learn about effective strategies related to policies, systems, and environmental changes; as well as community nutrition officers or dietitians/nutritionists may collaborate with stakeholders to conduct nutrition education programs; mobilise networks for change; and provide communities with appropriate tools to assist them in the operation of programmes for chronic disease prevention.” Moreover, as community residents join together to help each other, businesses, faithbased organisations, and educational institutions can probably form a partnership in support of these important initiatives to foster healthy communities.

Overview According to Mason et al (2006) “rapid improvements in health and nutrition in developing nations may be noted as specific, deliberate, health-and nutrition-related interventions and to changes in the underlying social, economic, and health environments.” Therefore, community nutrition programmes provide essential information in nutrition and health to aid people in improving not only their nutritional status, but also the quality of life. These programmes are designed to improve the health of the population.

Generally, the main focus is to reach households and encourage a healthier lifestyle, with the aim of helping individuals to make better choices to lower their potential risk for disease. If in cases where there might be pre-existing diseases or conditions, healthcare professionals should provide treatment and teach people how to take care of themselves, for example manage blood pressure, blood sugar, and cholesterol levels perhaps through medication review and emphasising compliance with prescribed diet and medications, incorporating physical activity, and stress management.

Some activities include nutrition education (choosing nutritious food, planning balanced meals, grocery shopping, methods of cooking, understanding the food label, the basics of therapeutic diets – low salt, diabetic, renal, low fat), health screening, diabetic foot care, blood pressure management, fitness and so on.

Some existing programmes There are existing nutrition programmes which include but should not be limited to the School Nutrition Programme (SNP), and the Healthy Me and Wee Fit Camps.

The main focus of these programmes is to promote health and wellness, as well as to improve and/or maintain the nutritional status of children and their households by extension. Communities can also implement gardening projects which will aid in food and nutrition security.

Likewise other business and community organisations might conduct similar community nutrition programmes for children, adolescents and adults.

The aforementioned camps aimed to fight childhood obesity, encourage healthy lifestyles, promote regular participation in physical activity, provide nutrition education to children, adolescents, parents/guardians and caregivers on choosing nutritious foods, planning balanced meals using the Caribbean Food Groups, portion sizes, increasing dietary intakes of fruits and veggies, drinking water, and adding foods moderate to high in dietary fibre to the meal plan; also limiting foods high in fat, sugar, and salt. In addition, activities are also included to promote and/or improve self-confidence and self-esteem in children (Ministry of Health).

You should note that SNP is the largest nutrition programme in the nation and the Caricom region; it is managed by National Schools Dietary Services Ltd.

School meals are provided for students in primary, secondary, and technical/vocational schools in Trinidad.

Similarly, its goal is to improve the nutritional status of children and adolescents.

The meals served breakfast and lunch are designed to meet one quarter and one third of the Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA), respectively (Fourth Report of the Joint Select Committee on Ministries, Statutory Authorities and State Enterprises, 2012).

Moreover at the international level, according to the United States Department of Agriculture (2016), “the Food and Nutrition Service administers several programs (which include the National School Lunch Program, School Breakfast Program, Child and Adult Care Food Program, Summer Food Service Program, Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program and Special Milk Program) that provide healthy food for children.” These programs are operated by state agencies, and besides the goal in making healthy food available to children, each program helps to fight hunger and obesity. Organisations such as schools, child care centres, and after- school programmes are reimbursed for providing healthy meals to children.

The nutrition message: community nutrition programmes are beneficial to improving the health of the population.