Use Of Disgust In Health Promotion Strategies

Running Head: ETHICAL ISSUES IN HEALTH PROMOTION 1

Use of Disgust in Health Promotion Strategies

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ETHICAL ISSUES IN HEALTH PROMOTION 2

Use of Disgust in Health Promotion Strategies

Issue Summary

The pedagogy of disgust has been used in different health promotion strategies. The

practice has various ethical implications which have not been critically considered. Lupton

(2015) examined the ethical, moral and political consequences of the pedagogy of disgust. The

individuals who plan and implement public health campaigns elicit disgust in an attempt to

persuade the target members to change their behavior in the best interest of their health. The use

of disgust has various advantages in public health campaigns as it motivates the avoidance of

infectious diseases. It is vital for the control of infectious and chronic diseases such as pandemic

flu, smoking and diarrheal diseases through behavior change.

However, the use of disgust in public health campaigns is associated with a lot of human

suffering as it causes anxiety and phobic disorders. Such disorders include obsessive-compulsive

disorders, social phobia and also post-traumatic stress disorders related to high costs of

healthcare. Disgust is used in the society not only as a force to drive cohesion but also causes

prejudice and stigmatization among the community members (Lupton, 2015). Disgust in public

health, therefore, poses a challenge since it negatively affects the psychological well-being of an

individual.

Role of Healthcare Professionals in Resolving the Issue

Healthcare professionals should recognize the negative impact of disgust on the society

by reinforcing negative attitudes on the already disadvantaged and marginalized individuals and

social groups. Research has shown that disgust does not contribute to better outcomes as they

lead to other adverse effects (Fairchild et al, 2015). The medical personnel should acknowledge

ETHICAL ISSUES IN HEALTH PROMOTION 3

the fact that disgust is harmful to some degree and there is need to implement strategies to halt it.

There are alternative measures for successful public health campaigns without bringing the issue

of disgust. The public health officers should do their best to avoid the use of disgust in

campaigns to prevent the adverse effects of the practice.

The healthcare professionals should also research the public to determine the adverse

influence caused by the use of disgust. They should establish the number of people who suffer

adverse consequences from the use of disgust. The healthcare personnel should also ensure that

they initiate measures that help the people adversely affected by such advertisement strategies

(Fairchild et al, 2015). They should ensure that those individuals get help at affordable rates as it

is costly to handle people with psychological disorders. Medics should also acknowledge the fact

that health and behavior result from a complex interaction of social, cultural and economic

aspects but not just individual choices.

Application of Ethical Theories and Principles

The utilitarianism approach of ethical theory argues that the end justifies the means hence

it is vital to consider the outcome of the use of disgust in campaigns. It becomes unethical to use

such measures to prompt behavior change as adverse events are anticipated (Broad, 2014). The

use of disgust in public health campaigns breaches the various ethical principles of nursing.

Healthcare professionals are supposed to demonstrate beneficence in their action and avoid harm

to their patients.

In conclusion, using disgust that causes the audience to develop the psychological system

is against the expectations of the professionals. The medical personnel are also expected to let

people exercise autonomy by making decisions about their health. The use of disgust forces

ETHICAL ISSUES IN HEALTH PROMOTION 4

people to change behavior against their wishes and even develop serious ailments which interfere

with their freedom. The healthcare professionals should not go against the ethical principles in

whichever strategies of health promotion that they employ.

ETHICAL ISSUES IN HEALTH PROMOTION 5

References

Broad, C. D. (2014). Five types of ethical theory (Vol. 2). Routledge.

Fairchild, A. L., Bayer, R., & Colgrove, J. (2015). Risky business: New York City’s experience

with fear-based public health campaigns. Health Affairs, 34(5), 844-851.

Lupton, D. (2015). The pedagogy of disgust: the ethical, moral and political implications of

using disgust in public health campaigns. Critical Public Health, 25(1), 4-14.

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