Mzwandile Andi Mabhala
University of Chester, UK
Title: How public health nurse educator conceptualise inequalities in health: A qualitative study
Biography
Biography: Mzwandile Andi Mabhala
Abstract
Background: Nurses have long been identifi ed as key contributors to strategies to reduce inequalities in health. However, healthrninequalities increased in the UK despite measures put in place to reduce them. Th is raise questions about: Th e eff ectivenessrnof strategies to reduce health inequalities, and nurses’ understanding of how inequalities in health are created and sustained,rntheir nature and level of contribution to reducing inequalities and their preparedness in terms of political consciousness and orrneducational preparation.
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Aim: Th e aim of this qualitative research project is to determine nurses’ understanding of public health as a strategy to reducerninequalities in health.
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Methods: 26 semi-structured interviews were conducted with higher education institution-based public health nurse educators.
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Findings: Public health nurse educators described inequalities in health as the foundation on which a public health frameworkrnshould be built. Two distinct views emerged of how inequalities should be tackled: Some proposed a population approachrnfocusing on upstream preventive strategies, whilst others proposed behavioral approaches focusing on empowering vulnerablernindividuals to improve their own health.
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Conclusion: Th e synthesis of data from the current study fi ndings and data from the previous studies, informed the developmentrnof conceptual framework that describes three dimensions; science, ethics and human right that frames argument about healthrninequalities.
