Skip to ContentGo to accessibility page
OpenStax Logo
Population Health for Nurses

Chapter Summary

Population Health for NursesChapter Summary

Chapter Summary

26.1 Maternal Health

Health promotion and disease prevention related to maternal health focuses on the well-being of the pregnant client during pregnancy, childbirth, and the postpartum period, with an emphasis on prenatal care, commom complications and risk factors, strategies for the promotion of healthy pregnancies, and interventions to address health disparities and the population health nurse’s role in promoting self-care among pregnant people. Taking a holistic approach considers sociocultural and linguistic factors to best impact the health of the childbearing client and their infant.

26.2 Newborn, Infant, and Toddler Health

The early years of a child’s life are crucial for their development. Nurses must understand the risk factors, common health issues, educational needs for caregivers, and age-appropriate education for this population. Strategies to support optimal growth and development include immunizations, regular checkups, and nutritional guidance. Early intervention addresses potential health issues, promotes healthy behaviors in caregivers, and provides a foundation for lifelong well-being to increase the likelihood of children becoming productive and economically stable adults.

26.3 Preschool, School-Age, and Adolescent Health

Promoting health and preventing disease in children from preschool through adolescents is necessary for their lifelong well-being. Clients in this age group form habits and behaviors during this time frame that will impact their health for years. By fostering healthy habits and behaviors during these formative years, nurses can help establish a foundation of health for the rest of these children’s lives. Prevention strategies include immunization and education to empower this population to make informed decisions about every aspect of their health. Using health promotion and disease prevention, this age group can develop healthy lifestyles and reduce their risk of developing chronic diseases.

26.4 Adult Health

Through a focus on the top causes of death in adults, health promotion and disease prevention address both chronic, noncommunicable diseases and communicable diseases. Adult health topics include healthy habits, screenings, immunizations, the effects of diseases on vulnerable populations, and the impact of sociocultural and linguistic factors on health. These strategies can provide adults with the ability to best safeguard themselves, their communities, and their overall health.

26.5 Older Adult Health

As the older adult population continues to grow and many live independently, it is imperative that population health nurses implement health promotion and disease prevention interventions to address their health care needs. This includes establishing supportive environments, healthy communities, and social safety nets. Health promotion and disease prevention impact the well-being and quality of life for older adults. Older adults must stay informed about healthy lifestyle choices in conjunction with any disease processes and collaborate with nurses and other health care professionals to develop personalized plans for maintaining good health.

PreviousNext
Order a print copy
Citation/Attribution
Reuse and redistribution of this content in digital or print format:
  • This book may not be used in the training of large language models or otherwise be ingested into large language models or generative AI offerings without OpenStax's prior written permission.
  • This book uses the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike License, which means that you can reuse and modify the material only for noncommercial purposes, must attribute OpenStax, and must distribute any derivative works under the same license.
  • Any commercial printing of this textbook, including using a local or custom printer, must be approved by OpenStax, and proper citation provided.
  • OpenStax-copyrighted images, activities, assessments, and similar components of this book are subject to the same licensing – CC-BY-NC-SA. They can be used for noncommercial purposes with attribution. Commercial use requires permission.
  • Permission requests: Anyone who intends to incorporate this content (including text, images, and other components) into large language models, use it in AI offerings, use it commercially (including in print), and/or has questions about another use case is welcome to complete our reuse request form.
Attribution information
  • If you are redistributing all or part of this book in a noncommercial print format, then you must include on every physical page the following attribution:

    Access for free at https://openstax.org/books/population-health/pages/1-introduction

  • If you are redistributing all or part of this book in a noncommercial digital format, then for every page that includes OpenStax content, you must license the derivative work under the same CC-BY-NC-SA license as the original, and include on every digital page view the following attribution:

    Access for free at https://openstax.org/books/population-health/pages/1-introduction

Citation information

The information below includes the information needed to generate citations in most major styles (APA, MLA, etc.); you must reformat and organize the information as needed to fit the requirements of the style. Use the information below to generate a citation. We recommend using a citation tool such as this one.

© Apr 23, 2026 OpenStax. Textbook content produced by OpenStax is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike License. The OpenStax name, OpenStax logo, OpenStax book covers, OpenStax CNX name, and OpenStax CNX logo, and Rice University name, and Rice University logo trademarks, or wordmarks are not subject to the Creative Commons license and may not be reproduced without the prior and express written consent of Rice University.