Exploring Social Marketing Strategies in Addressing Fetal Alcohol Spect

There are various health disorders, and diseases that can be either preventable or non-preventable within communities. One disorder that can potentially be preventable is Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) (Idrus & Thomas, 2011). FASD is an, â€Å"umbrella term that encompasses the following disorders: Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, partial Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, Alcohol Related Neurological Disorder, and Alcohol Related Brain Disorder† (Saskatchewan Prevention Institute (SPI), 2009, p. 4). For the purpose of this paper the writer will use the umbrella term, FASD. FASD is caused by the consumption of alcohol during pregnancy (SPI, 2009). Approximately 9.1 out of 1000 births have FASD in Canada (SPI, 2009). Therefore, presenting as a significant problem that affects many communities. Health ramifications of a person with FASD are life long. FASD effect’s all the determinants of health (DOH) in some form. A newspaper article was the underlying motive for the topic FASD and can be viewed in the Appendix. This paper will explore three DOH: social environment, income and social status, and healthy child development with relation to the impact on FASD. Subsequently suggesting proposed strategies in addressing FASD to improve population health. Determinants of Health Social Environment Social environment refers to the resources and support found in communities that help people improve or avoid health risks (Stanhope, Lancaster, Jessup-Falcioni, & Viverais-Dresler, 2008). Some females may participate in environments where social or binge drinking occurs often, such as going for a few drinks after work, the female maybe unaware of the effects of minimal alcohol on the fetus (SPI, 2009). Another example of the effect of the social... ...owledge and awareness of FASD in the general public (Riley et al., 2010). The negative aspect of these campaigns is the lack of behavioural change that was evaluated (Riley et al., 2010). As the goal of all of these campaigns was to decrease or cease alcohol consumption in pregnant women, this is an important implication (Riley et al., 2010). FASD is a disorder that can be potentially preventable in collaboration with a community. The social environment, income and social status, and healthy child development all influence FASD. Both social marketing and primary prevention strategies are effective and should be utilized to raise awareness and decrease/cease FASD in newborns. By incorporating proper messaging themes and collaborating techniques for the awareness campaigns shown, will help improve not only FASD, but also the health of the entire population.