Monday, March 26, 2007
Blog 10: Disease Prevention
Academic institutions can take a more active role in disease prevention by creating awareness and educating young women. Some universities could create different kinds of interactive programs that inform women about certain diseases that they may not know about. Many women do not know about heart disease and how it affects thousands of women each year. Offering certain tests like mammograms or cholesterol tests may help women have access to some type of preventative care. Educating women is also an important factor for academic institutions to have a part in prevention. Passing out pamphlets or creating fliers with information pertaining to certain types of diseases will help women become aware of these diseases. As long as the information is out there and women are able to access it, either from the Student Health Services or online, academic institutions can take an active role in disease prevention.
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5 comments:
I agree with you. I think everyone can help in getting information out there. I think many people do know the right things they should do and still don't do them. I think Universities need to do something more as far as incorporating exercise and good eating habits. Maybe mandatory exercise classes each semester. Maybe free?!! I think in general, we are going to have to step outside the normal boundaries and do something further than handing out materials.
Academic institutions have a unique role because they have a captive audience. Most often their student population is a great place to start with prevention measures with many health issues. If some of the information taught and presented sticks, even small amounts, it could change things for an entire generation. I think way to often young people are thought to be too carefree and disinterested in this valuable information about their health and their futures.
I agree with you that even though it may be seen as a burden or prove costly to the institution, health knowledge is as vital as the other subjects they are teaching.
Make some of the course mandatory like core classes in literature and the arts – which one will improve the quality of life more – health information that is well received or a literature course…Mandatory government courses are great example of a sure way to get everyone in a health education class. If you want to graduate you have to have those 6 government credits.
I agree with you that interactive programs would effectively inform students about women's diseases. Health fairs such as Susan G. Komen provide interactive tools such as free mammograms, technology like computer software, incentive to participate like food and other goodies, women's health specialized professionals, etc. I believe campuses lacking these interactive health fairs are not providing full potential health advantages to lower their female students' risk of women's diseases like breast cancer. These activities provide unique, crucial interactive prevention services that a health class can't, although the required ciriculum with mandatory exercise and health knowledge is just as important!
I agree that universities need to take an active role, but it may actually need to go beyond even that and begin all the way back at elementary schools. If girls were taught healthier habits at a younger age, plus offered the education from the beginning than they would be more likely to use the information even in college. The tiny bit of information that the school does provide or other places provide does not get used to its potential because women are uneasy about talking about their health or bodies, it almost been a taboo subject in the past.
Having different programs to educate women is a good idea. This could help some women who were not able to be taught about different things as far as eating habits, the different diseases that are around, or maybe even how many times they need to engage in physical activity. Everyone still needs a little guidance, and still get educated on some things. Thats why people say you learn something new everyday.
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