Student’s Name: Institutional Affiliation
Transcript of Student’s Name: Institutional Affiliation
Running head: POLICY 1
Policy and Advocacy for Improving Population Health
Student’s Name:
Institutional Affiliation:
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Health Issue and the Population Affected
A stroke occurs when there is an interruption of the flow of blood to the brain, reduced
flow due to blockage, or a rupture in the blood vessels that supply blood to the brain which can
result to a hemorrhagic stroke or an ischemic stroke. According to the Centers for Disease
Control & Prevention (2017), there are more than 795,000 cases of stroke reported yearly in the
United States. Research in this area has revealed that a vast majority of these strokes can be
prevented (Calre, 2017). Even through stroke commonly occurs in elderly individuals, it can
occur in individuals of any age including unborn babies in the womb. Data from the Heart &
Stroke 2018 Stroke Report indicates that more women succumb to strokes than men, with
women who have stroke suffering from greater disabilities. The long-term outcomes following a
stroke vary significantly and partly depend on the type of stroke and the age of the affected
individual. Majority of stroke survivors are able to regain their functional independence, but
around 15-30% of affected individuals will suffer a permanent disability. Some people usually
experience a permanent decline in cognitive function and most survivors live in danger of a
recurrent stroke in the future.
Health Advocacy Campaigns
The type of advocacy campaigns that were investigated in the West Helena area includes
stroke education advocacy campaign and The Furthering Access to Stroke Telemedicine (FAST)
campaign. In this area, there is a local non-profit organization that offers stroke education to
residents in Philips County in Arkansas. The campaign provides education materials on stroke,
lectures on stroke, and takes part in health fairs and local events. The University of Arkansas
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Medical Science (UAMS) is used as a resource for education and patient placement. The main
aim of the organization is to educate the general public and offer stroke outreach through the use
of simplified terms. In addition, it enlightens residents on the resources that are available and
how they can utilize them. The main strength of stroke education advocacy campaign is
spreading the awareness of stroke at the grass root level. Easy language is used when delivering
information to the general public and the amount of information that is disseminated is not
overwhelming. Ordinary residents of the area are handed legible and clear material with
informative graphics that are pleasing to the eye. During community events, many members of
the community converge together and the presence of familiar faces makes it easier to exchange
and distribute information about stroke.
The Furthering Access to Stroke Telemedicine campaign has been implemented in this
area through the use of interactive video-conferencing in the delivery of care to stroke patients.
Modern advancements in technology such as mobile phones, tablets, and remote communication
have facilitated the adoption of telemedicine making healthcare providers more accessible across
the U.S. The primary objective of using telemedicine with stroke patients is to increase access to
quick assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of stroke which in turn improves the quality of life in
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the long-term. The technological world is continuously dynamic and new inventions are
developed every day. Telemedicine is used for stroke consults and stroke assessments with a
neurologist. They do give the clot buster medications and UAMS coordinator helps in to finding
placement for a stroke patient. The integration of telemedicine helps in increasing the access to
stroke care from any location in the U.S. The use of technological devices such as mobile phones
is relatively easier since they are available to most healthcare professionals and they serve as
tools for facilitating early diagnosis and treatment of stroke (West Helena, 2018).
Plan for a Health Advocacy Campaign
Among the leading causes of death in the U.S., stroke is ranked fifth and it is the leading
cause of disability in adults. This indicates that there is an urgent need to develop policy
solutions to promote the prevention and early treatment of stroke. One of the primary risk factors
of stroke is hypertension and 30% of hypertension cases may be attributable to obesity. In 2017,
the state of Arkansas had the third highest rate of hypertension in the United States at 41.3%
(The State of Obesity, 2018). Furthermore, it has a relatively high rate of obesity with 35.7% of
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adults and 33.9% of children aged between 10 and 17 being obese or overweight (Trust for
American Health, 2017).
The proposed policy advocates for changes in lifestyle and dietary habits to promote
healthy nutrition which can reduce risk factors associated with the incidence of stroke.
According to an estimate by the World Health Organization (2013), 80% of strokes can be
prevented through lifestyle behaviors, and this includes healthy eating. The science of nutrition is
constantly evolving and studies have shown that factors that have the most impact on health
include overall quality of an individual’s diet, type of food consumed and the quantity of food
consumed. The campaign advocates for a policy to promote proper nutrition for all residents to
prevent stroke and facilitate quick diagnosis and treatment.
Healthy food consumption depends on a number of factors including availability and
consumer choice. Food availability is determined by advertising, cultural preferences, health
education, geographic consideration and retail competition. The policy proposes to increase the
advertisement of healthy foods and limit the advertisement of unhealthy foods during peak
television hours. This might be beneficial in reducing the consumption of unhealthy food in this
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population. Some of the population-based dietary interventions that can be implemented to
reduce the risk of stroke include reduction in the salt in food, elimination of fats in diet, menu
labeling by food companies, cholesterol reduction, and avoidance of food desserts (Eckel et al.,
on is to enhance dietary behaviors in this 2014). The main objective of the proposed policy soluti
population by reducing the consumption of high-calorie, low-nutrient foods. In addition, it aims
at influencing the local government to ensure the consideration of the needs of stroke patients,
their families, caregivers, and to look to minimize the risk factors of stroke that are associated
with nutrition.
Healthy food consumption can save many individuals from stroke by promoting
consumption of healthy food choices and this might reduce the chances of a low quality of life
that may be experienced by the survivors. The process of formulating the proposed health
advocacy policy may improve the control of stroke and enable survivors to live a better life.
There is a need to come with a regulation structure that prohibits commercial marketing of
unhealthy foods and these regulations should set minimum standards, monitor compliance, and
enact penalties for those who fail to comply (Brambila-Macias et al., 2011). This policy can
create an environment that allows individuals to make healthy choices easier and create
opportunities to improve dietary behavior. A more effective regulation technique for marketing
and advertising can help to support efforts to promote healthy diet and minimize the incidence of
stroke.
Enactment of the Policy
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The proposed policy will require the creation of a new law. This policy proposes to
increase the advertisement of healthy foods and limit the advertisement of unhealthy foods
during peak TV hours. Most ongoing policy efforts to address the marketing of food in high
income countries focus on TV advertisements. The incidence of stroke can be reduced through
changes in dietary habits and lifestyle behavior to promote healthy nutrition. Proper nutrition can
be promoted through the use of television advertisements which would be recommended in the
food advertisement policy and can be enacted as a new law to help in reducing the risk factors
associated with the incidence of stroke.
The law would impose regulations on all public media channels and mandates them to
control the time when food advertisements are aired. Through this individuals will be able to
make informed choices about the meals they usually consumer and remove the obstacle of
lacking information on the right choice of food they should purchase. The advertisement law can
be useful in encouraging low calorie intake with research indicating that can lead to nutritional
improvements in many families by prompting them to rethink about their food choices (). The
food industry has a duty to pledge to limit TV adverts to residents to reduce the exposure and
power of marketing unhealthy foods.
The proposed policy relates to the risk behavioral factor with regards to the health of the
population. Currently, most of the food and beverage marketing on TV is for products which
have high contents of fat, sugar, and sodium. According to Kemps, Tiggemann, & Hollitt, (2014)
advertisements shape the beliefs, food preferences, purchase intentions and dietary intake of the
public. The current legislations in this population have some moderations with regards to stroke
prevention. Evidently, there is no elaborate plan to protect the public from the risk factors
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associated with stroke. Therefore, there is a need to come up with a law to regulate food
advertisement with an aim of promoting proper nutrition for stroke prevention in the population.
How Current Legislation Affects Advocacy Efforts
In the United States of America, issues of free commercial speech could present a major
barrier to enacting laws that limit food advertising. The current legislation might slow down
these advocacy efforts. This is primarily attributed to the fact that the existing regulations have
only mandated the ministry of health to conduct health campaigns and has also handed the power
to act on laws to the legislature (Conklin, Morris, & Nolte, 2015). This implies that private
citizens have limited power to develop or propose policies. Consequently, the only thing that
would be possible is lobbying with the policy-makers to come up with ways through which they
can enhance their policies and laws in order to improve the living standards of the general public.
Nonetheless, given that there is a provision for the public participation in the current law with
regard to the legislation, it might promote these advocacy efforts in making proposals to change
the marketing of food products (Kemps, Tiggemann, & Hollitt, 2014). As a result, the
suggestions will be based on the appropriate interventions which may be assumed in order to
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enact the required laws which will facilitate improved health for the population. This is essential
to ensure that members of this population are able to avoid risk factors that might expose them to
stroke.
Analysis of Methods to Influence Stroke Legislation
The three legs of lobbying are compared to the three legs of a stool implying that each
one of them is vital in ensuring that advocacy efforts remain steadfast (Milestead, 2016). The
three legs include the professional lobbyists, grassroots lobbyists, and obtaining financial
backing. Professional lobbying involves professionals who have the essential skills and
competencies with an aim of bringing the legislators to together to deliberate on the proposal and
resonate in the best way the proposed policy can improve the standards of living of the
population. It refers to participating in advocacy efforts from a professional capacity while at the
same time representing a particular group of interest. Therefore, it is important to be a member of
a professional association such as the American Nurses Association and be active for the
organization to assist in influencing legislators to accept the healthy food advertisements policy.
As a professional lobbyist, the legislators will view you as an expert who has and can provide
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should not be supported. For crucial information about a policy or issue and why it should and
this reason, it would be necessary to ensure that the interests of the general public are prioritized.
Grassroots lobbying involves rallying different stakeholders in the community to get
them on your side and it represents democracy in action (Milstead, 2016). It also consists of
efforts to bring experts and knowledgeable individuals on board who will help in influencing
legislators. Involved stakeholders can be rallied to the efforts for advocacy of the food
advertisements policy through the help of emails, written letters, phone calls, and face-to-face
visitations. There can also be a liaison with the public health department, the food industry, and
media corporations who can also play a role in convincing legislators.
Financial power is crucial in politics and we cannot ignore its massive influence as it
dictates who gets elected and which laws are passed by legislators. Health organizations,
insurance agencies, and pharmaceutical companies invest a lot of money in lobbying efforts.
Most of the funds that are used by healthcare professionals to conduct lobbying activities are
obtained from membership fees paid to professional health organizations (Singh, 2015).
Therefore, it would be of benefit to show support to fundraising efforts and endorsement
decisions of professional associations such as the American Nurse Association to obtain financial
backing to influence law makers for the healthy food advertisement policy.
Obstacles that Could Arise in the Legislative Process
There are a number of expected obstacles that might arise in the legislative process for
the advocacy of the healthy food advertisement policy. The main obstacle would be resistance to
change by some of the legislators who are rigid to change. In this regard, these legislators may
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cite a number of reasons as to why the proposed change might not be good for the food industry
and the general public. To overcome this obstacle, it would be important to involve all
stakeholders and legislators and explain to them the potential benefits that may arise from the
proposed policy in the long-term.
Another obstacle would be meeting or gaining access to legislators and policymakers
since one had to pass through several layers of staff to get to them. This hurdle can be overcome
through continuous persistence and patience as well as developing a relationship with the aides
of the legislator or policy maker through grassroots lobbying. Another potential hurdle is lack of
interest from stakeholders to rally behind the proposed policy. This challenge can be overcome
through the use of compelling and explicit information about the change and a show of the
beneficial elements of the policy (Conklin, Morris, & Nolte, 2015). Another obstacle that might
be experienced is insufficient funds when attempting to persuade individuals in power to support
the policy and it can be overcome by actively engaging in fundraising efforts led by professional
nursing organizations.
Ethical Dilemmas
A number of ethical dilemmas might arise during the process of implementing an
advocacy campaign to promote changes in lifestyle and dietary behaviors with an aim of
reducing the risk factors associated with the incidence of stroke. One ethical dilemma is
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establishing whether stroke should be considered as an epidemic and as to whether there was a
need to involve the government and media channels in the advocacy campaign to help reduce the
risk factors of stroke that are associated with nutrition. The author would need to decide whether
to consider the impact of influential groups during the advocacy campaign. These influential
groups include individuals who have stakes in the measure that the author seeks to advocate for
and propose a policy.
It is another dilemma trying to figure out whether onlookers should be concerned with
what other people are watching or what other people are eating. Some of the TV viewers may
tend to think that the health campaign will only be targeting them and the regulation of what is
being brought on the Television might be interpreted as a punishment. Others may tend to view
the act of addressing one of the risk factors of stroke as a one-sided way of addressing the risk
factors of stroke. Ethics and morals arise when an individual has to think of what is best for the
population as well as what can be done to resolve the health issue of stroke. As a nurse, I have a
role to promote proper nutrition as a measure to reduce the risk factor of stroke associated with
nutrition. This campaign will aim at educating parents, and small children on the risk of
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maladaptive dietary habits. The author will be required to make the entire population understand
that the dietary habits could have an influence on the incidence or recurrence of stroke.
An understanding of the American Nurses Association (ANA) Code of Ethics is essential
for nurses to help them in tackling ethical dilemmas. Provision seven of the code explains that
nurses have an ethical responsibility to stay updated and disseminate recent research findings to
promote evidence-based best practice, safeguard the rights of patients in research, participate in
the development of practice standards that support the nursing body of knowledge and ethical
practice, and meet their ethical obligations by taking part in global, national, state or local
initiates. This provision requires a nurse to always be informed on the best practices that can be
utilized in the care plan for a patient, educate the patient, family, and general public.
Applicable Ethics and Lobbying Laws
The primary concern of ethics and lobbying laws is setting ethical standards for the action
of federal representatives and those who intend to influence them. The ethics laws in Arkansas
safeguard individuals and communities from harm by making sure that the implementation of a
particular policy or the process of carrying out a particular campaign does not result to harm to
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the people who are involved. This advocacy campaign would need to observe the applicable
ethics and reporting requirements. Structured program assessments will also be necessary for
financial support.
In Arkansas, the lobby law imposes regulations on direct communication with members
of the legislative and executive branches of the state government to influence legislative action.
The law was drafted to control different forms of direct communication whereby communication
could be in the form of a letter, telephone, telegraph, or in person. The lobby laws must be
considered during the process of the advocacy campaign since the author will be communicating
directly to people to inform them on importance of addressing the nutritional risk factor of
stroke. According to Garraham (2014) information that is related to the alterations that might
arise during lobbying registration as well as the issues that will be lobbied during the reporting
period must be included in the reports.
Ethical Challenges
This advocacy campaign might face unique ethical challenges which are likely to be
experienced with this population such as the fear of embarrassment for the individuals who have
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maladaptive nutritional habits. Some individuals might fail to attend the advocacy campaign
meetings because they do not want to be viewed as an individual with limited knowledge on
on that the entire population of Arkansas will proper nutrition. Another challenge is the expectati
become aware of the importance of proper nutrition in averting the risk of stroke by improving
their dietary behaviors at the completion of the campaign.
Summary
This paper has tackled the issue of stroke and indicated the need to enhance proper
dietary behaviors while spreading awareness on the importance of a healthy diet. It also points to
the lack of awareness of one of the risk factors of stroke, preventative measures in the population
and the need to address it through a health advocacy campaign. Two advocacy campaigns that
have been used in educating this population on stroke were presented. It also indicated the
proposed TV advertisement regulation policy to improve nutrition of this population. It also
points out how the policy will be enacted as well as how the three legs of lobbying can be
utilized to impact legislators. In addition, it presents ethical concerns and challenges that might
arise during the campaign and how they can be resolved.
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References
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