Health promotion is the prevention of ill health. It is achieved by enabling people to increase their control over the influences on their health.
Albury Wodonga Health - Wodonga Hospital (AWH-WH) conducts health promotion both within the Health Service and the Wodonga community. The current health promotion priority areas for the AWH-WH are;
Reorienting Health Service Towards Health Promotion
Health Promoting Health Service
Albury Wodonga Health - Wodonga Hospital is working to become a Health Promoting Health Service (HPHS) whereby it actively values the prevention of illness, in addition to its value of treatment, cure and rehabilitation. By becoming a HPHS, AWHWC will:
- Actively promote the health of its employees by providing a work environment that is supportive of positive physical, social and emotional health;
- Actively promote the health of its patients by utilizing opportunities to encourage good health and by identifying and responding to risk factors;
- Actively promote the health of its community by providing a comfortable, accessible and culturally appropriate service;
- Actively promote the health of its environment by supporting and implementing appropriate environmental initiatives.
Smokefree Workplace
Tobacco smoking is the leading cause of preventable death in Australia resulting in the deaths of more than 19,000 people each year.1 The City of Wodonga has a greater percentage of smoking related deaths than the Victorian average. Environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) is directly linked to ill health among non-smokers. Non-smokers who are exposed to ETS have higher rates of illness and death from cardiovascular disease and lung cancer2. In children, ETS is also associated with pneumonia and bronchitis, coughing and wheezing, worsening of asthma, and middle ear disease. In non-smoking pregnant women, ETS exposure can cause a decrease in birth weight and infant exposure may contribute to the risk of SIDS.3
AWHWC implemented a Smokefree Workplace Policy on October 1st, 2007. As per this Policy smoking by all staff, patients and visitors is restricted to within designated smoking areas only. Staff of AWH-WH are not responsible for aiding a patient to smoke and staff doing home visits are permitted to request that the home is smokefree whilst treatment is being provided. To assist patients to comply with the Policy, all admitted patients who smoke are able to obtain free nicotine replacement therapy during their admission. All employees are able to obtain free nicotine patches and attend a free smoking cessation course.
The workplace can directly influence the physical, mental, economic and social well-being of employees and in turn the health of their families and community. A healthy workplace can significantly improve employee health outcomes. A healthy work environment provides three basic elements;
- A focus on lifestyle practices such as being physically active, not smoking, eating a healthy diet and having a healthy weight;
- A safe and well-designed physical environment with an emphasis on occupational health and safety; and
- A positive organizational culture that supports employee well-being and effective work practices.
Maintaining employee health is good for business. Providing a healthy workplace environment can reduce absenteeism, employee turnover and medical claim costs, as well as increase overall productivity, workplace moral and, most importantly, staff health and wellbeing.4
Healthy Food Choices
The AWH-WH has adopted a Healthy Food Choices policy to increase the number of healthy foods and drinks in the cafe and vending machines. Food and drink items sold throughout Wodonga Hospital are labelled using a traffic light system: Green – everyday items; Amber – select carefully; and Red – occasionally. Significant changes have been made to food and drink items sold in the cafe and vending machines, enabling a 21% increase in Green items since the introduction of the policy.
The success of the policy at Wodonga Hospital has been showcased in the ‘Healthy choices: food and drink guidelines for Victorian public hospitals Toolkit' released in May 2010.
The Wodonga Hospital case study can be viewed on page 20 of the Toolkit, located at the following website: http://www.health.vic.gov.au/healthychoices
Staff Health and Wellbeing
In November 2009 AWH-WH conducted its second Staff Health & Wellbeing Survey. This Survey, completed by approximately 45% of employees, asked staff to respond to questions regarding their current health and wellbeing relating to both the workplace and home. The Survey identified a number of opportunities for the Health Promoting Health Service Advisory Committee to establish health promotion programs that address the health and wellbeing of staff. The current workplace health promotion priorities are;
- Physical activity
- Health screening
- Sleep
- Water consumption
Patient Health Promotion
Hospitals and health services have significant potential to encourage positive health behaviours. When a person comes to hospital they are at a time of heightened awareness about their health and illness, and have increased motivation to make major lifestyle change.5 The health promotion department is pursuing opportunities to address these underlying lifestyle behaviours associated with patient admissions.
In 2007 the AWH-WH commenced the Alcohol Screen project whereby patients who present at AWH-WH are screened for their level of alcohol consumption during their admission. Patients with moderate to high alcohol intake are provided with the Alcohol and Your Health resource. Patients who have high alcohol intake are often given brief intervention by nursing staff and referred to an Alcohol and Drug Worker. The Alcohol Screen continues to be used in patient presentations to AWH-WH.
Patients who identify as current smokers during their admission are offered a free Quit Because You Can resource to encourage smoking cessation. Patients are also able to obtain free nicotine replacement therapy to support them in their cessation.
Promoting Mental Health and Wellbeing
Upper Hume Primary Care Partnership
AWH-WH is an active member of the Upper Hume Primary Care Partnership (UHPCP), partnering with other agencies of the Integrated Health Promotion (IHP) steering committee. The priority areas for the UHPCP IHP steering committee are: Promoting Mental Health and Wellbeing and; Promoting Physical Activity and Active Communities.
Strengthening Links with the Aboriginal community
AWH-WH continues to work with members of the local Aboriginal community, particularly local workers at Mungabareena Aboriginal Corporation, Albury Wodonga Aboriginal Health Service, Wodonga Local Aboriginal Education Consultative Group and Aboriginal staff at AWH.
Projects conducted with community members to date have included:
· Healthy Kids Means Strong Kids
· Aboriginal Health Days
· Supermarket Tours
AWH is a partner organisation of the Albury Wodonga Aboriginal Health Plan, which aims to close the health gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous members of Albury and Wodonga communities.
Other Health Promotion Activities
AWH-WH staff also conducts pre planned and opportunistic health promotion activities linked to the priority areas of AWH. Some of these activities include:
· Healthy Kids Means Strong Kids – Healthy eating project with local Aboriginal primary school students conducted by AWH-WH Nutrition staff and the Wodonga Local Aboriginal Education Consultative Group (WLAECG).
· Body Image presentations and group sessions – conducted by Health Promotion/Nutrition & Dietetics staff with local schools.
· Supermarket Tours – conducted by Nutrition & Dietetics staff with a range of community members
· Aboriginal Health Days – health screening with local Aboriginal community members conducted by AWH-WH staff and Mungabareena Aboriginal Corporation.
· General nutrition and healthy eating sessions – conducted by AWH-WH Nutrition & Dietetics staff at local schools
· Heart Foundation Walking (HFW) – AWH-WH supports HFW through recruiting and training local volunteers to run walking groups.
Links
Australian Health Promotion Association: http://www.healthpromotion.org.au
Upper Hume Primary Care Partnership: http://www.upperhumepcp.com.au
VicHealth: http://www.vichealth.vic.gov.au
Victorian Department of Health, Health Promotion site: http://www.health.vic.gov.au/healthpromotion/
Contact:
Albury Wodonga Health - Wodonga Hospital
Community Rehabilitation Centre
Vermont Street, Wodonga VIC 3689
References:
1. Ridolfo B, Stevenson C. 2001, The quantification of drug caused mortality and morbidity in Australia, 1998. Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. Category Number PHE 29. Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (Drug Statistics Series no 7).
2. National Cancer Institute 1999, Health Effects of Exposure to Environmental tobacco Smoke: A Report of the California Environmental Protection Agency. Smoking and Tobacco Control Monograph No 10. Bethesda, MD: US Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health, National Cancer Institute, NIH Pub No 99-4645.
3. World Health Organization 1999, Tobacco Free Initiative. International Consultation on Environmental Tobacco Smoke (ETS) and Child Health: Consultation Report. WHO Technical Document Number WHO/TFI/99.10.
4. World Health Organisation 2007, Occupational Health: Workplace Health Promotion, Available at: http://www.who.int/occupational_health/topics/workplace/en/index.html.
