Health Promotion / Lifestyle

Patient UK resources of information on health promotion issues

Patient UK has an extensive section of leaflets on health promotion and lifestyle issues. Health promotion is about keeping healthy, living a healthy lifestyle, preventing illness, and preventing any existing illness from becoming worse. The health promotion and lifestyle leaflets section includes leaflets on diet, obesity, smoking, exercise, alcohol, preventing heart disease, cervical screening, breast screening, sun and health, etc..

Immunisation is also an important aspect of health promotion and Patient UK includes information leaflets about the common immunisations.

Some screening tests and investigations are relevant to health promotion.

Other UK sources of information on health promotion issues

• general health promotion websites
• well woman
• well man
• preventing heart disease
• cancer
• accident prevention
• alcohol and drug abuse
• immunisation
• food and nutrition
• exercise
• smoking
• travel health
• sexual health

General health promotion websites

These first few UK sites are comprehensive covering many aspects of health promotion and a healthy lifestyle. There then follows links to sites on specific topics.

 Change 4 Life

Eat well - Move more - Live longer. This website is part of the Change 4 Life government backed campaign. "The way we live in modern society means a lot of us, especially our kids, have fallen into unhelpful habits. This means all of us need to make small changes to eat well, move more, and live longer."

 Department of Health - healthy living section of their website

Promoting healthy lifestyles for people in England and Wales is an important governmental responsibility. The Department of Health runs initiatives to help people quit smoking, eat better and exercise more, as well as health screening projects and training and skills programmes. Lots of information and links to these initiatives are found on this site.

 NHS Health Scotland

A mass of information on health promotion, lifestyle (and diseases).

 Prevention package for older people

From the Department of Health The prevention package raises the focus on prevention as a means of ensuring good health, well-being and independence in later life, by promoting and encouraging uptake of comprehensive health and social care services for older people. The prevention package: brings together information on existing health 'entitlements' including sight tests, flu vaccination and cancer screening; promotes best practice around falls prevention and effective fracture management; introduces measures to improve access to affordable footcare services; updates national intermediate care guidance; summarises existing progress on audiology and telecare.

 Take on Life

Find out what healthy eating and physical activity are all about. It is designed to help you attain a healthier diet and a more active lifestyle by providing resources, advice and support on healthy eating and physical activity.

 National Healthy Schools Programme

Helping schools to become healthy and effective.

 Healthcare Promotions

A free and easy to access service for healthcare professionals looking to save time when creating various healthcare campaigns. There is a vast amount of materials, such as Posters/Leaflets/Factsheets/Booklets available to Healthcare Professionals to use for healthcare campaigns these days. However, searching for these can take up too much time. This is where Healthcare Promotions can help. This website has over 500 links to UK based resources and publications, which covers over 60 Health Categories. This gives you plenty of choice for your next campaign, all in one place.

Accident and injury prevention (UK sites)

 Accidents

The Department of Health's pages on accidental injury intended to act as a focal point for general information on preventing accidental injury. Includes links to other websites called

• The DfT Road Safety page and see also ' Think Road Safety'
• The Health & Safety Executive
• Fire Kills - you can prevent it

 Child Accident Prevention Trust

A national charity in the United Kingdom committed to reducing the number of children and young people killed, disabled and seriously injured as a result of accidents.

 Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents

Includes plenty of advice on preventing accidents in the home, in the workplace and at leisure.

 British Safety Council

The British Safety Council came into being following a debate in the House of Commons on June 7 1957. Since then it has grown to become the largest independent industrial safety body in the world. It trains 19,000 people a year in accident prevention techniques and safety management.

 Electrical Safety Council

An independent body promoting electrical safety for the protection of consumers.

See also the Patient UK self help and support groups for accidents

Alcohol & drug abuse prevention (UK sites)

 Department of Health

Information on preventing drug abuse.

 Alcohol Focus Scotland

Committed to improving the quality of people's lives by changing Scotland's drinking culture - promoting responsible drinking behaviour and discouraging drinking to excess.

 Down Your Drink

A six week online programme that tells you what you need to know to stay drinking safely.

 Drink Aware

All kinds of useful information about alcohol and drinking, from fascinating facts to practical tips, to suit all kinds of people and occasions. On the site you will find the answers to your questions about alcohol units, and how many units are in real drinks and serving sizes, and you can check how the sensible drinking message applies to you and your life.

 Fastforward

Fast Forward is a charitable organisation which promotes health through quality education by, with and for young people, focusing on the prevention of drug alcohol and tobacco misuse.

 Hope UK

A drug education charity working from a Christian basis. Aims to provide accurate information and relevant life skills training which enable children and young people to consider their attitudes to alcohol and other drugs. Supports parents, teachers and youth leaders with quality resources, speakers and training events.

 Life Education Centres

One of the UK's leading national voluntary sector providers of primary drug prevention programmes.

 National Drug Prevention Alliance

A grouping of organisations and individuals who want to see more and better prevention operating in the UK, as part of the solution to the drug problem. Runs the Teenex youth programme ance which includes active involvement of teenagers.

 Talk to Frank

National Drug Information website.

See also the Patient UK self help and support groups section on addiction

Cancer prevention (UK sites)

 Department of Health

Information on preventing cancer.

 CancerHelp UK

Includes sections on causes, warning signs, treatment and reducing the risk of cancer.

 Cancer Screening Programme (the NHS)

Find out about the current screening tests such as cervical screening, breast screening, bowel cancer screening.

 Everyman - action against male cancer

The Institute of Cancer Research's campaign to raise awareness of testicular and prostate cancer.

See also the Patient UK self help and support groups section on cancer

Heart disease prevention (UK sites)

 British Heart Foundation

A charitable organisation that aims to play a leading role in the fight against heart disease.

 Heart Research's 'Healthy Lifestyles' guidelines

Advice on stopping smoking, eating a healthy and balanced diet and being active to reduce the risk of heart disease. From Heart Research

 Department of Health - coronary heart disease section of their website

The Government is committed to reducing the death rate from coronary heart disease and stroke and related diseases in people under 75 by at least 40% (to 83.8 deaths per 100,000 population) by 2010. Their website includes strategies on how to achieve this.

 Department of Health - healthy living section of their website

Promoting healthy lifestyles for people in England and Wales is an important governmental responsibility. The Department of Health runs initiatives to help people quit smoking, eat better and exercise more, as well as health screening projects and training and skills programmes. Lots of information and links to these initiatives are found on this site.

See also the Patient UK self help and support groups for heart disease

Immunisation (UK sites)

 Immunisation Website

Everything you need to know about immunisation from the Department of Health.

See also the Patient UK travel page for travel immunisations

Men's health (UK sites)

 Everyman - action against male cancer.

The Institute of Cancer Research's campaign to raise awareness of testicular and prostate cancer.

 Men's Health Forum

Aims to provide men with clear information about their health and show how - in practical, down-to-earth ways - they can not only become healthier but also feel better too.

See also the Patient UK healthy lifestyle section.

Well women (UK sites)

 Women's Health Concern

A leading charity providing help and advice to women on a wide variety of gynaecological, urological and sexual health conditions.

 Breast Screening Programme (the NHS)

Aims to reduce the number of women who die from breast cancer by detecting abnormalities early enough to give a better prognosis and wider choice of options for treatment. Produces and distributes publications, cassettes, leaflets and videos.

 Cervical Screening Programme (the NHS)

Aims to reduce the number of deaths from cervical cancer by detecting and treating abnormalities in the cervix before cancer develops. Produces and distributes publications, cassettes and leaflets.

 FPA

The FPA provides comprehensive and objective information on all aspects of contraception and sexual health to the general public and health professionals.

See also the Patient UK healthy lifestyle and the self help and support groups section for women