This week we were asked to pause and reflect on our learning journey to this point. Taking time to reflect is an important process for growth and development. Reflection provides the opportunity to look at your thoughts, feelings and experiences and provides an opportunity to learn, grow and gain a new perspective (Lofgren, 2021). As I reflect my immediate thoughts are that my learning journey in health promotion has been interesting so far but there is more I want to understand.
The course started with grounding us in the definition of health promotion and the foundational concepts of the Ottawa Charter. More recently the focus has been on learning about theories and models, exploring evaluation, comparing misinformation with evidence-based information and investigating a health promotion topic of interest. I appreciate the systematic approach and direction that each component and the learning activities are providing. Prior to this course, I had a surface level understanding of health promotion from a very narrow lens. I was unaware of the large number of theories or frameworks that underpin health promotion. It has been interesting to learn that many theories have overlapping elements. However, the challenge has been narrowing the focus with expansive amounts of information on various topics and the diverse perspectives shared each week.
Through exploration, I am beginning to understand the complexity with health promotion. Health promotion theory assists in identifying why individuals behave the way they do and under what circumstance (Pourrazavi et al, 2020). My observation is that health promotion programs have tended to remain focused on individual-level behaviours, not consistently factoring in the broader context and social circumstances that can influence behaviours.
Reflection provides an opportunity to consider where we are now and where we want to be (Lofgren, 2021). In my Looking Forward blog, I identified that I am currently supporting health system transformation using a population health management approach. As the weeks progress I want to increase my understanding of effective program design including a focus on equity and continue to learn about how health promotion can contribute to improving the health of entire populations.
References
Lofgren, J. (2021 January 12). Why reflection is crucial to leadership, future planning and success. www.forbes.com. https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbescoachescouncil/2021/01/12/why-reflection-is-crucial-to-leadership-future-planning-and-success/?sh=2205d8c67e57
Pourrazavi, S., Kouzekanani, K., Bazargan-Hejazi, S., Shaghaghi, A., Hashemiparast, M., Fathifar, Z., & Allahverdipour, H. (2020). Theory-based e-health literacy interventions in older adults: a systematic review. Archives of Public Health, 78, 1-8. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/343561999_Theory-based_E-health_literacy_interventions_in_older_adults_a_systematic_review