Health Promotion and Aging: Practical Applications for Health Professionals. 4th ed, by David Haber. New York, NY: Springer Publishing Company; 2007. 572 pages, $70.00 (hardback)
With research evidence that health promotion works at any age, healthcare professionals hold vast "potential to empower individuals to live a healthy lifestyle." As key players with clients and communities, healthcare professionals must be informed about aging adults' health issues. As a result, they can educate, advocate, and intervene to fill the health promotion gaps among societal, governmental, and local programs for this growing population. This comprehensive award-winning text was written for health and allied healthcare practitioners, faculty, and students. Its perspectives reflect a "social-ecological model that incorporates intrapersonal, interpersonal, organizational, and environment factors into health promotion." Focused on current research findings, it offers practical health-promoting tools, resource lists, assessment tools, illustrations, checklists, and tables. It describes the author's exercise program and health contract/calendar that are recognized by the National Council on the Aging's Best Practices in Health Promotion and Aging.
Chapter 1, "Introduction," discusses Healthy People 2010 initiatives, sociodemographic trends, healthy aging definitions and perspectives, healthcare systems and payers, and a health promotion and aging model. Chapter 2 discusses working with older clients in collaboration, communication, the Internet uses, and selected issues such as end-of-life and cultural considerations. Chapter 3 discusses clinical preventive services such as medical screenings and prophylaxis, breast and prostate cancer, cholesterol, diabetes, and depression. Chapter 4 addresses health behavior theories, assessment, and interventions, including Dr Haber's health contract and calendar. Chapter 5 discusses exercise for disease prevention and functional improvements, activity pyramid, arthritis, and the 4 components of Dr Haber's exercise class. Chapter 6 presents nutritional information about the pyramid, nutrients, and selected topics such as organic foods. Chapter 7 discusses weight management and chapter 8 discusses complementary and alternative medicine. Chapter 9 presents selected health education topics such as smoking, alcohol use, medications, injury prevention, and sleep. Chapter 10 discusses social support systems (eg, family, friends, online, pet, spiritual, caregiving, and healthcare provider). Chapter 11 addresses mental health topics such as depression, Alzheimer's disease, stress, and insurance coverage. Chapter 12 addresses community health organizations, model programs, associations, volunteerism, and advocacy. Chapter 13 addresses diversity in age, gender, culture, socioeconomics, and rural/global status. Chapter 14 discusses public health with a "wellness general" perspective about national health plans, managed care, prescription issues, and long-term care. Chapter 15's glimpse into the future emphasizes older adults' innovation and enthusiasm. The author encourages students to select gerontology and geriatric careers to interact with older adults as they reengage in the work force, in physical and mental health, and in supportive housing.
Chapter 5, "Exercise," emphasizes national health reports and research that "show evidence that exercise demonstrates considerable promise for older adults in the areas of disease prevention and improved physical and cognitive function." The author discusses cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes, depression, cognition, bone density, fall prevention, osteoarthritis, and sleep. The 4 components of his exercise class include aerobics, muscular strength or endurance, flexibility and balance, and health education. He provides a number of useful examples of specific exercises and figures such as the activity pyramid. He also discusses healthcare professionals' roles to promote exercise among older adults. The chapter concludes with 20 discussion questions such as "Why is strength building more important for older adults than for younger adults?"
The textbook offers 14 figures, 20 tables, and an extensive 57-page reference list with classic and current entries to 2006, an index, discussion questions for each chapter, and instructor's guide with test questions. Some chapters have resources such as newsletters and Web sites. This comprehensive text uses informative, instructive, practical, and thoughtful strategies to convey the urgency that healthcare professionals must educate, advocate, and intervene to fill health promotion gaps for the aging population.
-Dot Baker, EdD, RN, MS(N), CNS-BC
Professor, Nursing, Wilmington University, Georgetown, Delaware