Community health advocacy: approaches and impact

Community Health Advocacy

The prevention of disease has three distinct levels: primary, secondary and tertiary. Primary prevention methods are the first prevention strategies that are employed to prevent a person from a disease or illness. Primary prevention's main goal is to stop the disease or illness from occurring at all. Secondary prevention is employed after the disease or illness has happened, but before the individual has any adverse effects from the disease or illness and before they realize that anything is wrong with them. Tertiary prevention comes into play when an individual has symptoms of a disease or an illness and thus the goal becomes to prevent both harm and physical hurt from that disease or illness. Tertiary prevention is also used in order to prevent the disease or illness from escalating, ease the pain of the disease or illness, and help people get back to their former quality of life.

Butz et al. (2011) states that "over 30% of U.S. children are exposed to Second Hand Smoke (SHS) in their homes and 40-60% of children living in poverty are exposed to SHS in their homes." In looking at these three levels of prevention in regards to the problem of Second Hand Smoke (SHS) exposure in children, it is plain to see that primary prevention is the most important and these most reliable. Primary prevention would encompass a complete ban on smoking in and around the household (as smoking outside can also contaminate the homes with nicotine). Butz et al. (2011) also notes that "increased child SHS exposure is associated with increased time spent in the home, close proximity to a smoker, and living with a caregiver who smokes." Primary prevention, that is -- a complete ban on smoking in and around the household -- is the only definite way that children will not be exposed to the adverse effects of SHS. Primary prevention would also consist of educating individuals about the risks of SHS exposure in children. Chan et al. (2007) notes that "nurses need to give accurate and relevant health-related information to their clients who come under their care."

Despite all of the public health warnings about SHS, SHS exposure in children still occurs in the home, which is why we can't stop at primary preventions simply because they do not always work. Secondary prevention in regards to children's exposure to SHS is an important topic, especially for young children as they spend "up to 90% of their time in the homes and may be more likely exposed to members of the child's social network who smoke (i.e. extended family, child care workers and neighbors" (Butz et al., 2011). Secondary prevention would consist of medical attention for those children who have been exposed to SHS as there are several health risks associated with SHS exposure, one of which is asthma and other lung functioning problems.

Tertiary prevention in children who have been exposed to SHS would consist of managing the problems associated with the SHS exposure. As mentioned, asthma is one of the major illnesses resulting from SHS. Frequent trips to the doctor or pediatrician to help alleviate complications from the SHS exposure as well as measures to help turn around the damaging effects are just a couple of the tertiary preventions available.