Understanding the historical background of health promotion and how it has grown since its main introduction through the Ottawa Charter in 1986 inspired me to use my skill set to further advance health equity. My health promotion project focused on epilepsy self-management and allowed me to explore the social determinants of health in epilepsy and the facilitators or barriers to seizure control. I enjoyed learning about ways in which technology such as wearable devices can help track seizures and monitor health to support informed decision-making. During this course, I analyzed efforts to reduce health inequities and provided a critique of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGS). The SDGS focus on interconnected challenges across sectors and applies pressure on leaders to enforce policies that support social cohesion and respect the environment on a global scale (Kickbusch & Nutbeam, 2017; Oldekop et al., 2016). To me, the biggest challenge with implementing the SDGs is the vast differences of contextual factors between countries including culture, politics and economy which influence the expression of health promotion. If there are different interpretations of fundamental human rights then there are bound to be divergent health promotion practices. A key learning for me was how public health is inextricably linked to systems; therefore, failing to address oppressive systems makes inequality reduction impossible. For example, the applied decolonial framework for health promotion shown in Figure 1 focuses on the colonial legacy mechanisms that contribute to health inequities (Chandanabhumma & Narasimhan, 2019).
Figure 1
Applied Decolonial Framework (Chandanabhumma & Narasimhan, 2019).
This course allowed me to explore essential principles to health promotion including inclusion, diversity, equity, and accessibility (IDEA). IDEA should be at the core of health promotion initiatives since these principles recognize that everyone has the right to access health information, resources, and services regardless of their background, identity, or ability.
IDEA
(Barker & Basseur, 2021)
Inclusion: Enable full participation and contribution by creating an environment that ensures everyone is welcomed, safe, respected, supported, and valued.
Diversity: Embrace the wide range of attributes and dimensions of diversity that make someone unique (e.g., ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, disability, age, and religious beliefs).
Equity: Treat people fairly and uphold justice by ensuring equal access to opportunities.
Accessibility: Accommodate needs and preferences so people with disabilities are able to participate and feel empowered.
I enjoyed taking the implicit bias surveys and reflecting on my results. A learning moment for me was reading about the unconscious attitudes or beliefs that influence our perceptions, attitudes, and behaviours. Bias affects actions and outcomes based on underlying assumptions and is especially problematic when someone has little self-awareness (Barker & Vassuer, 2021).
Strategies to reduce implicit bias
(Loyola Marymount University, 2023)
1) Education and awareness: Learn about the development and impact of implicit biases.
2) Exposure to diverse perspectives: Interact with people from different backgrounds, cultures and experiences to reduce stereotyping, challenge biases, and promote inclusive attitudes.
3) Self-reflection and mindfulness: Identify biases, think about personal thoughts and behaviours, and practice relaxation techniques (e.g., meditation).
4) Implementation of objective criteria: Create a level playing field for everyone to reduce bias in processes such as evaluations and hiring decisions.
5) Accountability: Create a culture of responsibility.
Overall, this course was useful as the units provided the necessary knowledge to address the issues with my health promotion project particularly surrounding accessibility and health literacy.
Barker, J. & Vasseur, L. (2021). Inclusion, diversity, equity & accessibility (IDEA): Good practices for researchers. Canadian Commissions for UNESCO. Retrieved March 17, 2023 from https://en.ccunesco.ca/-/media/Files/Unesco/Resources/2021/09/ToolkitIDEA.pdf
Chandanabhumma, P. & Narasimhan, S. (2019). Towards health equity and social justice: An applied framework of decolonization in health promotion. Health Promotion Journal, 35, 831-840. https://doi.org/10.1093/heapro.daz053.
Kickbusch, I., & Nutbeam, D. (2017). A watershed for health promotion. The Shanghai Conference 2016. Health Promotion international, 32(1), 2-6. https://doi.org/10.1093/heapro/daw112
Loyola Marymount University (2023). Strategies to reduce implicit bias. Loyola Marymount University Resources: Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. Retrieved March 17, 2023 from https://resources.lmu.edu/dei/initiativesprograms/implicitbiasinitiative/
Oldekop, J.A., Fontana, L.B., Grugel, J., Roughton, N., Adu-Ampong, E.A. & Bird, G.K., (2016). 100 key research questions for the post-2015 development agenda. Dev Policy Rev., 34(1):55– 82.
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