Health Education

OBJECTIVES Students should know: 1- The definition of health education. 2-The aims of health education. 3- The principles of health education. 4-The contents of health education 5-The methods of health education. 6-How to practice health education.

Definitions Providing information and teaching people how to behave safely and in a manner that promotes and maintains their health. A continuing process of informing people how to achieve and maintain good health; of motivating them to do so; and of promoting environmental and lifestyle changes to facilitate their objective. The education of health behaviors that bring an individual to a state of health awareness.

Alma Ata Declaration (1978) “ HE a process aimed at encouraging people to want to be healthy, to do what they can individually & collectively to maintain health, and to seek help when needed ”

AIMS & OBJECTIVES to encourage people to adopt and sustain health promoting lifestyle and practices. To promote the proper use of health services available to them. To arouse interest, provide new knowledge, improve skills and change attitudes in making rational decision to solve their own problems ; and To stimulate individual and community-reliance and participation to achieve health development.

Principles of health education HE brings together the art and science of medicine,& the principles and practice of general education. Credibility: it is the degree by which the message to be communicated is perceived as trustworthy by the receiver. Interest: it is a psychological principle that people are unlikely to listen to those things which are not to their interest. Participation: HE should aim at encouraging people to work actively with health workers & others in identifying their own health problems & also in developing solutions & plans to work them out. Motivation: it is an important factor & it is contagious. Comprehension: in HE we should always communicate in the language people understand, never use strange or new words.

Principles of health education reinforcement: if the message is repeated in different ways, people are more likely to remember it. Learning by doing: learning is an action- process not a memorizing one. Known to unknown: starting with what people understand and then proceed to unknown knowledge. Setting an example. Good human relations: sharing of ideas information's and feelings. Feedback: to modifies elements of the system (message, channels). Leaders.

Contents of health education The scope of HE covers every aspect of family and community health, it's divided into: Human biology: i.e., how to keep physically fit, the effects of alcohol, smoking & drug on the body. Nutrition: the aim is to promote good dietary habits. Hygiene: personal and environmental. Family health: HE promote the family’s self reliance regarding i.e., child bearing & rearing. Disease prevention and control: education of people about the prevention & control of locally endemic diseases is the first of eight essential activities in PHC. Mental health. Prevention of accidents. Use of health services.

Practice of health education Educational material should be designed to focus attention to provide new knowledge, to facilitate interpersonal & group discussion. Audiovisual aids: Auditory aids (radio, microphones) Visual aids (chalk-board,leaflets,models & projection slides). Combined A V aids (television, cinema).

Methods in health communication

Planning & management The specifies of a health education strategy in a local community have to be formulated in accordance with its socio-cultural,psyco- social,political,economic&situational characteristics. HE planning follows the main steps in scientific planning: Collecting information on specific problems as seen by the community. Identification of the problem. Deciding on priorities. Setting goals & measurable objectives. Assessment of resources. Consideration of possible solutions. Preparation of a plan of action: Implementing the plan. Monitoring & evaluating the degree to which stated objectives have been achieved. Reassessment of the process of planning.

Administration & organization Governments have a responsibility for assisting & guiding the health education of the general public. A new division (HE & health promotion) has been established by the WHO its called division of public information & public relations. Finally. HE is a complex activity in which different individuals & organizations play apart. Among them are parents, teachers, friends, physicians, nurses, health workers, & various organizations governmental & non governmental.

The only thing more expensive than education is ignorance Thank you