My ePortfolio was established at the very beginning of the Master of Health Studies degree program that I am taking through Athabasca University. Throughout my coursework, I have been inspired to refine and curate content, messages, and communications pertaining to health issues. The content of my ePortfolio encompasses a diverse range of evidence-based resources that substantiate the principles of health promotion. The messages conveyed within my posts exhibit a comprehensive understanding of various health issues that exist in society today. Effective communication plays a pivotal role in the construction of an ePortfolio. Not only is my ePortfolio visually appealing, but it also offers a seamless navigational experience, ensuring it is user friendly. Furthermore, it provides users the opportunity to engage with content, through the incorporation of multimedia elements such as videos, infographics and graphics.
The health problem of rising infectious syphilis rates among the gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (gbMSM) population in Halton Region was the focal point of my selected topic for health promotion coursework. To comprehend and tackle this health problem effectively, the Health Belief Model (HBM) and the Socioecological Model (SEM) were analyzed. These frameworks offered valuable insights into understanding the factors influencing health behaviours and outcomes within the specific context of rising syphilis infection rates. The SEM is a well-established and commonly employed approach for comprehending individual health behaviours (Ma et al., 2017). The SEM considers the intricate relationships between organizational, cognitive, social, economic, cultural, ecological, and physiological factors that influence an individual's behaviour. Applying this model to this health problem allows the examination of factors influencing syphilis transmission. On the other hand, the HBM developed in the 1950s, aims to facilitate the understanding of factors that influence behaviour and helps to assess the consequences of risky behaviours on health outcomes (Khani Jeihooni et al., 2018). The HBM can be used to learn how the gbMSM population perceives their susceptibility to syphilis infections, their beliefs about the possible outcomes of such infections, the benefits of preventive behaviours such as condom use and testing, and the challenges they face when attempting to adopt these behaviours. These frameworks provide a structured way to understand the beliefs, perceptions, and multi-level influences on health behaviour, guiding the development of targeted interventions to reduce syphilis transmission and improve the health outcomes of the gbMSM population.
I hope to enhance my understanding of the application of conceptual frameworks to complex health issues. While frameworks provide a structured approach to analysis, it is important to recognize that they may not encompass all factors associated with specific health issues. My aim is to obtain a comprehensive understanding of established frameworks and theoretical models, including their corresponding strengths and limitations. This knowledge will enable me to critically assess the applicability of frameworks, select the most suitable ones for specific health problems, and effectively apply them. I hope to improve my analytical abilities, broaden my theoretical knowledge, and gain practical insights into using frameworks to shape my thinking and problem-solving approaches.
I have a couple of questions regarding my selected health problem that I plan to investigate in MHST632. These questions will act as a starting point for further investigation into the challenges and issues involved in assessing, planning, implementing and evaluating health promotion measures for my chosen health topic/problem.
How can we effectively assess the needs and preferences of the gbMSM population in Halton Region to inform the planning and implementation of targeted health promotion interventions?
AND
What are the key barriers and facilitators to implementing health promotion actions for reducing syphilis transmission among gbMSM in Halton Region, and how can these be addressed?
References
Khani Jeihooni, A., Arameshfard, S., Hatami, M., Mansourian, M., Kashfi, S., Rastegarimehr, B., Safari, O., & Amirkhani, M. (2018). The Effect of Educational Program Based on Health Belief Model about HIV/AIDS among High School Students. International Journal of Pediatrics, 6(3), 7285-7296. doi: 10.22038/ijp.2017.27226.2343
Ma, P. H., Chan, Z. C., & Loke, A. Y. (2017). The Socio-Ecological Model Approach to Understanding Barriers and Facilitators to the Accessing of Health Services by Sex Workers: A Systematic Review. Aids and Behavior, 21(8), 2412–2438.
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