Strengths and Weaknesses of Research into Health Promotion

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Strengths and Weaknesses of Research into Health Promotion

Advantages

  • Health Promotion through media campaigns can reach a large population in a relatively short period of time and therefore are efficient and effective. E.g. Cowpe's Chip Pan Fire television campaign significantly reduced the number of chip pan fires by 33% in Tyne Tees television area. Health Promotion through media campaigns therefore is time effective as the information about chip pan fires is viewed by millions in minutes.
  • Legislation as a method of health promotion  can be implemented to change health behaviour by promoting and enforcing positive health behaviours whilst banning unhealthy ones. In Dannenberg's study on bicycle helmet laws it did find that in the Howard Country that the legislation did show a significant increase in the reported rate of cycle helmet wearing in children - this shows that legislation as a method of health promotion is effective.
  • Fear is a basic human emotion so fear arousal is applicable to everyone. However the use of fear arousal e.g. showing the damage smoking causes to the body may cause an individual to feel repulsed and scares them out of the behaviour. E.g. in Janis and Feshback's study it was concluded that fear arousal can be helpful in changing behaviour but it is important that the level of dear appeal is right for each audience.

Disadvantages

  • Media campaigns as a form of health promotion required access to resources which not all individuals have and are not cost effective. Cowpe's TV advertisement proved effective but the advertisement can be avoided and ignored and not all individuals have access to televisions and therefore may not be seen by the full target population.
  • Despite some of the target population viewing the media campaigns does not necessarily mean that the behaviour will be improved just because an individuals knowledge has, if campaigns have also been repeatedly viewed and the campaign is too stressful then it may result in switching off from the message or it's importance reducing.
  • Some legislation may be considered to be denying individuals of human rights such as freedom of movement e.g. with smoking. Obedience with legislation is optional, drinking under the age of 18 is illegal and is dangerous however this does not stop underage drinking, legislation therefore is only effective if individuals listen to it and abide by the laws.
  • Using fear arousal as a method of health promotion raises major ethical consideration issues, this is because it goes against protection from harm and can result in psychological harm. Fear is also responded to differently by different people and therefore it is unlikely for it to be effective in large populations. Some fear arousals may be too emotional and distressing and therefore poeple may choose to ignore and avoid the message.
  • Fear arousal goes against the Yale Model which outlines that too much emotion will not deliver a message successfully, it is also reductionist as it assumes that fear arousal will automatically result in change of behavior and ignores desirability factors and social pressure to conform to certain lifestyles.

Evaluation

Media campaigns are the most effective method of health promotion as there are many different forms of campaigns and the message is quickly spread and seen by such a significant amount of people in such a short period of time. Individuals can choose to ignore the message after they have see it the first time but they have seen it so they know how important the message is. Fear arousal is the least effective as often individuals know the consequences of their actions anyway and therefore seeing the effects is unlikely to make a significant impact as what they already know is just being repeated. 

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