Document Type
Practice Guidelines
Publisher
University of Montana Rural Institute
Publication Date
8-2003
Disciplines
Community Health and Preventive Medicine | Public Health
Abstract
Health promotion for people with disabilities attracts a diverse audience: people with disabilities themselves, policymakers, service providers and others. This Guideline discusses our research on effective strategies for marketing and promoting RTC: Rural’s two health promotion programs: Living Well with a Disability (an eight-week workshop) and the New Directions physical activity program. It also describes the barriers people with disabilities anticipate when they consider participating in a health promotion program. If marketing strategies address these barriers, more people with disabilities may participate in health promotion activities. Secondary conditions are the medical and psycho-social conditions people with disabilities often experience following the onset of a disabling injury or disease. Chapter 6 of Healthy People 2010 focuses on increasing the proportion of people who engage in healthy behaviors that may prevent and/or manage secondary conditions. There are many approaches to changing health behavior, but health education continues to be the standard strategy to teach people how to prevent health problems, and how to maintain and even improve their health. Health promotion programs often include structured classes that target behaviors such as healthy eating and exercise. Living Well with a Disability aims to effect lifestyle changes that may reduce the incidence and severity of secondary conditions. Although our research indicated that Living Well works for people with disabilities, we knew that to reach our audience we would need to package and promote the program effectively.
Keywords
health and wellness, health promotion, marketing, health behavior, secondary conditions, Living Well, rural, disability
Rights
© 2003 RTC:Rural.
Granting Agency
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Acknowledgement
This research is supported by grant #R04/CCR818823-01 from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Project Number
R04/CCR818823-01
Recommended Citation
Ravesloot, Craig Ph.D. and Rural Institute, University of Montana, "Barriers and Best Practices: Marketing Health Promotion for People with Disabilities" (2003). Health and Wellness. 17.
https://scholarworks.umt.edu/ruralinst_health_wellness/17