Occupational therapists are well situated to work collaboratively with communities to identify needs, develop implementation strategies, and deliver health services and programs. Although the value of occupation for health and well-being is fundamental to the occupational therapy profession, this view is not well recognized in the field of public health. This lecture slides seek to identify core activities of Public Health in Occupational Therapy

1. PUBLIC HEALTH IN
OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY
(OT 201)
Lecturer: Sir OAK

2. LECTURE TWO
 Core activities of public health.
Learning objective:
After completing this topic, students should be able:
• understand what public health is about and
• mention the core activities involved in public health interventions.

3. PUBLIC HEALTH
• Public health is defined as the science and art of
preventing diseases, prolonging life, promoting
health and efficiencies through organized
community effort.
• It is concerned with the health of the whole
population and the prevention of disease from
which it suffers.

4. Key terms in the definition
Health Promotion
• Health promotion is a guiding concept involving
activities intended to enhance individual and
community health well-being.
• It seeks to increase involvement and control of
the individual and the community in their own
health.

5. • Health promotion is a key element in
public health and is applicable in the
community and in all other service
settings.
• Raising awareness and informing people
about health and lifestyle factors that
might put them at risk requires teaching

6. The Elements of Health promotion comprises of :-
1. Addressing the population as a whole in health related
issues , in every day life as well as people at risk for
specific disability:
2. Directing action to risk factors or causes of illness or
disability;
3. Undertaking activities approach to seek out remedy to risk
factors in the community that adversely affect health;

7. 4. Promoting factors that contribute to a better condition of health of
the population;
5. Initiating actions against health hazards ,including communication
,education, legislation ,fiscal measures, organizational change
,community development , and spontaneous local activities ;
6. Involving public participation in defining problems ,deciding on
action;
7. Advocating relevant environmental, health, and social policy;
8. Encouraging health professionals’ participation in health education
and health policy.

8. Prevention
• It is always said “prevention is better than cure.” This principle is
undisputed.
• Preventive measures can be applied at any stage along the natural history
of a disease with the goal of preventing further progression of the
condition.
• Levels of the prevention are mainly categorized as:
 primordial,
 primary,
 secondary, and
 tertiary prevention.

9. Primordial prevention
• Primordial prevention consists of actions to minimize future hazards
to health and hence inhibits the establishment of factors which are
known to increase the risk of disease.
• It addresses broad health determinants rather than preventing personal
exposure to risk factors.
• Examples include improving sanitation (so that exposure to
infectious agents does not occur), promoting a healthy lifestyle in
childhood (for example, through prenatal nutrition programs and
supporting early childhood development programmes)

10. Primary Prevention
• It refers to those activities that are undertaken to prevent the
disease and injury from occurring.
• It works with both the individual and the community.
• It may be directed at the host, to increase resistance to the
agent (such as immunization or cessation of smoking), or
• It may also be directed at environmental activities to reduce
conditions unfavorable to ADLs of the target population.

11. Primary Prevention cont…
• This is done by preventing exposures to hazards that cause disease
or injury, altering unhealthy or unsafe behaviours that can lead to
disease or injury, and increasing resistance to disease or injury
should exposure occur.
• Examples include:
 legislation and enforcement to mandate safe and healthy
practices (e.g. use of seatbelts and bike helmets).
 education about healthy and safe habits (e.g. eating well,
exercising regularly, not smoking).
 immunization against infectious diseases.

12. Secondary Prevention
• Secondary prevention aims to reduce the impact of a disease or injury
that has already occurred.
• This is done by:
 detecting and treating disease or injury as soon as possible to halt or
slow its progress.
 encouraging personal strategies to prevent reinjury or recurrence.
 implementing programs to return people to their original health and
function to prevent long-term problems.
 apply steps to isolate cases and treat or immunize contacts to
prevent further epidemic outbreaks.

13. Secondary Prevention cont…
Examples include:
• regular exams and screening tests to detect disease in its earliest
stages (e.g. mammograms to detect breast cancer).
• diet and exercise programs to prevent further heart attacks or strokes.
• suitably modified work so injured or ill workers can return safely to
their jobs.

14. Tertiary Prevention
• It involves activities directed at the host but also at the environment in
order to promote rehabilitation, restoration, and maintenance of
maximum function after the disability and its complications have
stabilized.
• This is done by helping people manage long-term, often-complex
health problems and injuries in order to improve as much as possible
their ability to function, their quality of life and their life expectancy
• Providing a wheelchair, special toilet facilities, doors, ramps, and
transportation services for paraplegics are often the most vital factors
for rehabilitation.

15. Rehabilitation
• Rehabilitation is the process of restoring a person’s social identity
by repossession of his/her normal roles and functions in society.
• It involves the restoration and maintenance of a patient’s physical,
psychological, social, emotional, and vocational abilities.
• Interventions are directed towards the consequences of disease and
injury.

16. Rehabilitation cont…
• The provision of high quality rehabilitation services in a
community should include the following:
1. Conducting a full assessment of people with disabilities and
suitable support systems;
2. Establishing a clear care plan;
3. Providing measures and services to deliver the care plan.

17. Core activities in public health
1. Preventing epidemics
2. Protecting the environment, work place ,food and water ;
3. Promoting healthy behavior;
4. Monitoring the health status of the population;
5. Mobilizing community action;

18. 6. Responding to disasters;
7. Assuring the quality ,accessibility, and accountability
of medical care;
8. Reaching to develop new insights and innovative
solutions and
9. Leading the development of sound health policy and
planning.

19. ASSIGNMENT 1
Briefly discuss seven (7) likely
ethical issues and challenges in
public health.

20. Thank you