Final answer:
Nurses can promote health by providing education and support, respecting patients' cultural values, and encouraging lifestyle changes. Criticizing patients or imposing strict rules are not effective strategies. Public health education and evidence-based interventions are key to preventing diseases like noninfectious diseases and HBV.
Step-by-step explanation:
Nurses have a crucial role in health promotion and disease prevention. They can implement behavior-change strategies to encourage healthier lifestyles. One effective approach is providing education and support to patients. This involves identifying critical problems and barriers of health and exploring sustainable health education and disease prevention interventions. Changing discrepant behavior, like stopping smoking, is important; however, patients should not use rationalizations to justify unhealthy habits.
Most behavioral risk factors for noninfectious diseases are avoidable and modification of such behaviors can significantly reduce disease risk. For example, interventions that target smoking can greatly decrease the prevalence of lung cancer. On the other hand, strategies such as ignoring patients’ habits, imposing strict rules without collaboration, or criticizing behaviors without offering alternatives, are not effective and can be counterproductive. Effective strategies also include understanding cultural practices that influence health, such as diet and physical activity, and respecting these within health education.
Role of Health Professionals
Health professionals have a responsibility to educate patients about risky behaviors, while setting personal opinions aside and respecting cultural values. They should discourage patients from resorting to ineffective methods and instead promote evidence-based interventions like public health education and lifestyle changes, incorporating healthy eating and physical activity. In healthcare settings, transmission of diseases like HBV can be reduced by following standardized protocols, vaccinations, and hygiene practices.