Health Promotion

Health-promotion programs should be accessible and affordable to consumers. They should focus on the unmet needs and preferences of all communities, including members of groups who are discriminated against and consumers with low incomes.

Federal and state governments should facilitate health promotion, including:

• adequately funding preventive health services and health-promotion programs (e.g., nutritional screening and counseling, exercise and weight-control programs, and drug-, alcohol-, and tobacco-addiction treatment programs), and preventive health-education programs for people who need them;
• ensuring consumers can adequately access and afford preventive health services and health education;
• funding and supporting community-based strategies to address the social determinants of health;
• educating individuals about risk factors for prevalent health conditions, behaviors that reduce health risks (e.g., exercise and nutrition), and the importance of receiving preventive care (e.g., mammography, cancer screening, early immunizations for children, and influenza and pneumococcal pneumonia immunizations for older Americans);
• educating the public about the effect of guns and violence on the public’s health, as well as the human costs of preventable injuries and premature deaths;
• supporting outreach and education about the value of engaging in healthy behaviors, with information targeted to consumers, family caregivers, and employers;
• identifying ways to support the implementation of evidence-based, nondiscriminatory workplace wellness programs by small employers;
• supporting the inclusion of prevention and health-promotion content in curricula for health care professionals;
• funding and supporting community-based strategies to address the social determinants of health; and
• identifying health-promoting behaviors, the ways in which such behaviors are linked to health improvements, and the costs and benefits associated with health-promoting behaviors. 

National prevention and health-promotion outreach and education campaigns should be developed, implemented, and evaluated by federal, state, and local governments, along with private-sector partners. Impacted community members, including older adults, should also be meaningfully involved in these processes. Campaigns should address barriers to adequate care and supports, be culturally and linguistically appropriate and delivered by trusted sources.

Efforts should be accessible for people with varying abilities, including those with hearing and vision impairments.

Web-based tools to disseminate health-promotion and disease-prevention information and generate personalized prevention plans should be:

• accessible to people with vision and hearing impairments,
• developed in a culturally competent manner, and
• available in as many languages as is feasible or provided with a website functionality for easy translation. 

Governments should fund efforts to promote evidence-based health-education opportunities and provide individuals with access to affordable and appropriate preventive health interventions. 

To better inform and improve the health of women 50+, the federal government should:

• fund a public education and awareness campaign about menopause and related health conditions.
• fund research and education activities to develop evidence-based practices to improve health care provider communication and preparedness in the management of menopausal symptoms.