Health Education

Prof. Ashry Gad Mohamed

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OBJECTIVES OF THE LECTURE

At the end of the lecture students should be able to:

1-Define health education and promotion.2- Discuss factors affecting health education.3- recognize aims and contents of health

education.4-Understand the roles of sender, message and

audience in successful health education program.

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What is Health Education?

Any combination of learning experience designed to facilitate voluntary adaptation of behavior conductive to health.

ORProcess which affects changes in the health practices

of people and in the knowledge and attitude related to such changes.

ORPlanned attempts to change what people think, feel

and do with a goal of promoting higher levels of health. 3

From Education to Promotion

Health Education

Life Style Modification

Narrow

Health Promotion

Life StyleSocial policy

Environmental Safety

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Aims of Health education

1. To develop sense of responsibility regarding Health.

2. Early diagnosis and management.3. To promote utilization of available

health services.

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Specific objectives of health education

1. To make health an asset valued by the community

2. To increase knowledge of the factors that affect health

3. To encourage behavior which promotes and maintains health

4. To enlist support for public health measures, and when necessary, to press for appropriateness.

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5. To encourage appropriate use of health services especially preventive services.

6. To inform the public about medical advances, their uses and their limitations.

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Stages for health education

• Stage of Sensitization• Stage of Publicity• Stage of Education• Stage of Attitude change• Stage of Motivation and Action• Stage of Community Transformation

(social change)

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Contents of health education1. Personal hygiene2. Proper health habits3. Nutrition education4. Personal preventive measures5. Safety rules6. Proper use of health services7. Mental health8. Sex education9. Special education (occupation, mothers

…..etc)9

Principles of Health education

1. Interest2. Participation3. Proceed from known to unknown4. Comprehension5. Reinforcement by repetition6. Motivation7. Learning by doing

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8. Know the customs, habits, and needs.9. Good human relations10. Leaders

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Steps for adopting new ideas

• Awareness• Interest• Evaluation• Trial• Adoption

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Strategies for health education

• Communication skills:

Sender Media Receiver (codes) (message) (codes)

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Educator/ Communicator

Health education can be given by a variety of personnel, for example:

• Personnel of health services, (medical, paramedical and health-related personnel e.g. social workers).

• Students of medicine, nursing and social work• School personnel: Physicians, nurses, social

workers and teachers• Community leaders and influentials, especially in

rural areas15

Strategies for health education

• Communicator (educator)–Clear–Confident–Creditable–Concepts clear–Concise message

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Strategies for health education

• Channel (Media)–Print media (pamphlets, newsletters,

posters)–Audiovisual (films and videos)–Verbal (one to one or sessions)–Mass media (TV, radio)

• ReceiverDecodes message and behavior change???

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Communication Barriers • Social and cultural gap between the sender

and the receiver• Limited receptiveness of receiver• Negative attitude of the sender• Limited understanding and memory• Insufficient emphasis by the sender (health

professional)• Contradictory messages• Health education without identifying the

“needs "of the community19

Practice

1-IndividualFace to face Education through spoken wordA- Occasions of health appraisalB- Home visits Nurses Health visitors Social workers

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2-Groupa. Lessons and lectures in schoolsb. Lectures in work places e.g. factoriesc. Demonstration and training

3- Mass media1. Broadcasting: radio & TV2. Written word: newspapers, posters, booklets3. Others e.g. theaters

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Major Variables in Behavior Change

Thoughts and ideas inside a person’s mind have significant influence on an individual’s health behaviors. These variables interact with social and environmental factors and it is the synergy among all these influences that operate on behavior.

• Knowledge: An intellectual acquaintance with facts, truth, or principles gained by sight, experience, or report

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• Skills : The ability to do something well, arising from talent, training, or practice

• Belief : Acceptance of or confidence in an alleged fact or body of facts as true or right without positive knowledge or proof; a perceived truth

• Attitude: Manner, disposition, feeling, or position toward a person or thing

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Reference book & page number for the lecture

resource

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