Editorial
Government health strategy: adding years to life
T
he overall aim of the Government’s health strategy reduction in the prevalence of cigarette smoking by one set out in The Health o f The Nation (Department third of current levels is demanded, together with sig of Health, 1992) is to secure continuing improvement nificant falls in the consumption of alcohol and fat as in the general health of the population in England. It part of dietary intake. seeks to do this by promoting collaboration and integra These behavioural targets are understandably worth while in achieving the objective set for the reduction tion of health services with other related activities con in deaths from coronary heart disease and the improve cerned with education, recreation, environmental im ment in the quality of life in survivors; however, further provements and social welfare. circumstantial targets will need to be determined at local The purpose of the exercise is two-fold: to bring levels if a universal 40% reduction is to be reached. about an increase in life expectancy and a reduction in Blaxter (1990), undertook a major health and lifestyle premature death whenever this is possible, i.e. adding survey, and concluded that while risk factors such as years to life; and to increase the length of time lived free from ill health by reducing or minimizing the ad smoking and alcohol consumption were related to verse effects of illness or disability, promoting healthy health, the association was more marked in good envi lifestyles and physical and social environments and, ronmental and social circumstances than in poor ones. overall, improving quality of life, i.e. adding life to years. Smoking made more difference to the fitness of men It is envisaged that progress will be achieved through in non-manual social classes than men in manual social the development of public policies that invite all those classes. Exercise was also found to be more protective responsible for the development of policy-making in for those in non-manual employment. A poor diet made education, commerce, industry and the environment, as less difference to the fitness or illness of women in man well as at national and local government level, to con ual classes, whether or not they were smokers and/or sider the health dimension. Healthy surroundings and drinkers. Blaxter’s findings suggest that if the incidence of cor healthy lifestyles should also be encouraged whenever onary heart disease is to be reduced in areas of economic possible in the home, at school, at work, on the roads and housing deprivation, these issues will have to be and in public places. The Health o f the Nation is seen given as much attention as individual behavioural as the responsibility of every citizen. change. Nurses will need to be as active in influencing The white paper adopts the World Health Organiz the housing and environmental lobby as they will in ation’s (1985) ‘Health for All’ strategy and is designed managing stop-smoking programmes. Nursing interven to meet the particular needs of people in the UK. The tions will need to be more energetically targeted and first health targets are based upon five priority areas: coronary heart disease and stroke, cancer, mental illness, followed through with those groups identified as being HIV and AIDS, and accidents. The isolation of these at highest risk, which on current evidence are those in targets rather than other possible areas such as asthma, the least favourable environmental circumstances. diabetes, the reduction of economic deprivation and im ‘When examining class trends in mortality and morbidity provement in housing opportunities has attracted some from lung cancer and coronary heart disease, there is a criticism in certain quarters. If the first health targets social class gradient for both diseases, with lowest rates in are to be achieved within the timescale these major areas professional classes to highest in the unskilled manual class will have to be addressed. The ways in which this may es’ (Townsend and Davidson, 1988). be achieved within The Health o f the Nation framework Adding years to life and life to years will require imagin can be illustrated if the target for coronary heart disease ative local initiatives if the challenging goals are to be is singled out as an example. In this way it is possible achieved. Community healthcare nurses should be at the to illustrate the ways in which wider public health issues leading edge, using their knowledge and contacts in get will be captured. ting local initiatives off the ground. The Government’s strategy demands that the level of Sarah Andrews ill health and death caused by coronary heart disease Director o f the Queen’s Nursing Institute and the risk factors associated with them be reduced. London Specifically for those people under 65 years a reduction in death rates of 40% must be achieved (from 58 per Blaxter (1990) Health and Lifestyles. Tavistock/Routledge, London 100 000 population in 1990 to no more than 35 per Department of Health (1992) The Health o f the Nation: A Strategy for Health in England. HMSO, London 100 000 by the year 2000). Subsidiary targets that relate Townsend P, Davidson, eds (1988) Inequalities in Health. Penguin, to the overall objective because of the known causal Great Britain WHO (1985) Targets for Health for All. WHO, Denmark relationship refer to smoking, eating and drinking. A British Journal of Nursing, 1992,Vol l,N o9
431
Downloaded from magonlinelibrary.com by 130.237.122.245 on January 11, 2019.
Government health strategy: adding years to life
T
he overall aim of the Government’s health strategy reduction in the prevalence of cigarette smoking by one set out in The Health o f The Nation (Department third of current levels is demanded, together with sig of Health, 1992) is to secure continuing improvement nificant falls in the consumption of alcohol and fat as in the general health of the population in England. It part of dietary intake. seeks to do this by promoting collaboration and integra These behavioural targets are understandably worth while in achieving the objective set for the reduction tion of health services with other related activities con in deaths from coronary heart disease and the improve cerned with education, recreation, environmental im ment in the quality of life in survivors; however, further provements and social welfare. circumstantial targets will need to be determined at local The purpose of the exercise is two-fold: to bring levels if a universal 40% reduction is to be reached. about an increase in life expectancy and a reduction in Blaxter (1990), undertook a major health and lifestyle premature death whenever this is possible, i.e. adding survey, and concluded that while risk factors such as years to life; and to increase the length of time lived free from ill health by reducing or minimizing the ad smoking and alcohol consumption were related to verse effects of illness or disability, promoting healthy health, the association was more marked in good envi lifestyles and physical and social environments and, ronmental and social circumstances than in poor ones. overall, improving quality of life, i.e. adding life to years. Smoking made more difference to the fitness of men It is envisaged that progress will be achieved through in non-manual social classes than men in manual social the development of public policies that invite all those classes. Exercise was also found to be more protective responsible for the development of policy-making in for those in non-manual employment. A poor diet made education, commerce, industry and the environment, as less difference to the fitness or illness of women in man well as at national and local government level, to con ual classes, whether or not they were smokers and/or sider the health dimension. Healthy surroundings and drinkers. Blaxter’s findings suggest that if the incidence of cor healthy lifestyles should also be encouraged whenever onary heart disease is to be reduced in areas of economic possible in the home, at school, at work, on the roads and housing deprivation, these issues will have to be and in public places. The Health o f the Nation is seen given as much attention as individual behavioural as the responsibility of every citizen. change. Nurses will need to be as active in influencing The white paper adopts the World Health Organiz the housing and environmental lobby as they will in ation’s (1985) ‘Health for All’ strategy and is designed managing stop-smoking programmes. Nursing interven to meet the particular needs of people in the UK. The tions will need to be more energetically targeted and first health targets are based upon five priority areas: coronary heart disease and stroke, cancer, mental illness, followed through with those groups identified as being HIV and AIDS, and accidents. The isolation of these at highest risk, which on current evidence are those in targets rather than other possible areas such as asthma, the least favourable environmental circumstances. diabetes, the reduction of economic deprivation and im ‘When examining class trends in mortality and morbidity provement in housing opportunities has attracted some from lung cancer and coronary heart disease, there is a criticism in certain quarters. If the first health targets social class gradient for both diseases, with lowest rates in are to be achieved within the timescale these major areas professional classes to highest in the unskilled manual class will have to be addressed. The ways in which this may es’ (Townsend and Davidson, 1988). be achieved within The Health o f the Nation framework Adding years to life and life to years will require imagin can be illustrated if the target for coronary heart disease ative local initiatives if the challenging goals are to be is singled out as an example. In this way it is possible achieved. Community healthcare nurses should be at the to illustrate the ways in which wider public health issues leading edge, using their knowledge and contacts in get will be captured. ting local initiatives off the ground. The Government’s strategy demands that the level of Sarah Andrews ill health and death caused by coronary heart disease Director o f the Queen’s Nursing Institute and the risk factors associated with them be reduced. London Specifically for those people under 65 years a reduction in death rates of 40% must be achieved (from 58 per Blaxter (1990) Health and Lifestyles. Tavistock/Routledge, London 100 000 population in 1990 to no more than 35 per Department of Health (1992) The Health o f the Nation: A Strategy for Health in England. HMSO, London 100 000 by the year 2000). Subsidiary targets that relate Townsend P, Davidson, eds (1988) Inequalities in Health. Penguin, to the overall objective because of the known causal Great Britain WHO (1985) Targets for Health for All. WHO, Denmark relationship refer to smoking, eating and drinking. A British Journal of Nursing, 1992,Vol l,N o9
431
Downloaded from magonlinelibrary.com by 130.237.122.245 on January 11, 2019.
