As the population and its health needs change, so also does the role and contribution of nursing. In the last hundred years, life expectancy in developed countries has increased by 30 years. This is because of reductions in infant, child, and maternal mortality, and declining mortality in middle and old age. The experience of health and well-being is shaped by factors that cross all sectors of society, and are socially and economically formed. The challenge for nurses and health visitors working in the community is both how to promote health and well-being through lifestyle changes and also...

As the population and its health needs change, so also does the role and contribution of nursing. In the last hundred years, life expectancy in developed countries has increased by 30 years. This is because of reductions in infant, child, and maternal mortality, and declining mortality in middle and old age. The experience of health and well-being is shaped by factors that cross all sectors of society, and are socially and economically formed. The challenge for nurses and health visitors working in the community is both how to promote health and well-being through lifestyle changes and also how to manage the combination of chronic disorders that we accumulate as we age, but which advances in treatment now allow us to control. This chapter provides an overview of how health promotion is conceptualized at the individual and population level of care. It focuses on nurses and health visitors promoting healthy choices and well-being through the life course, supporting screening for disease, and providing advice and support to reduce the risk and impact of ill health.