Being healthy requires a combination of factors, which over time, shape and affect the life of a human. One of these factors include nutrition. Food provides our bodies with the energy, protein and vitamins to live, grow and function accordingly. However, people have a difficult time choosing the right foods to eat, jeopardizing their health. To diminish this rising issue, public health nurses promote proper nutrition to the population.
Public Health NursesPublic health refers to the promotion of physical, mental, emotional, and social health of the population (Potter, 2010). They assess the health of communities at risk to identify the underlying problems, then formulate a plan to solve these identified issues. Furthermore, they promote their research to regular citizens, enabling them to gain more knowledge to maximize their well-being independently. Public health nurses are the largest part of the community health nursing discipline and therefore play a valuable role in health promotion (Aldinger, 1998). Public health nurses may provide home visits and are available at clinics (Potter, 2010). However, they have a strong role in working with children in school settings, particularly between the ages of four to twelve (Aldinger, 1998).
Health promotion services at schools are designed to give children the best start in life, by teaching them ways to independently improve their health. Having children participate in these advancements will also enable parents to build their knowledge and further reduce risks in their children. Health Promotion Health promotion is the process of empowering people to not only improve their healthy lifestyle choices, but also to motivate them to have full control over it (World Health Organiza. .to make a drastic nutritional change in people’s lives by hosting various interventions at schools. ConclusionNutrition is important for many reasons.
It is important for the body to function properly, and fight diseases. While it seems obvious that the body needs healthy food, a large number of people still do not change their diets and eating habits. Thus, it is essential for public health nurses to promote proper nutrition to elementary children. This prevents the need to diagnose and treat illnesses involved in eating poorly, in addition to gaining knowledge on better eating habits. Targeting young students to participate in these interventions also decreases the risk of childhood obesity and is a way to promote healthy eating as they age. As public health nurses continue promotion proper nutrition, the population will only steadily get healthier and healthier.
