Historical Development and conducive, to individual and

Concepts of Health Education community health.”

Part 2 Health Education Perspectives What is the purpose of Health Education?

Health Education  Health education aims to

positively influence the health
 Is any combination of learning behavior and health perspectives of
experiences designed to facilitate individuals and communities for
voluntary adaptations of behavior them to develop self-efficacy to
conductive to health (Green, et al, adopt health lifestyles resulting to
1980) healthy communities.
 It draws health models and theories
from the biological, environmental, What is the importance of Health
psychological, physical and Education?
medical and even paramedical
sciences like nursing. 1. Health education EMPOWERS
 Is a science and a profession of people to decide for themselves
teaching health concepts to 2. Health education creates awareness
promote, maintain and enhance regarding the importance of
one’s health, prevent illness, preventive and promotive care.
disability and premature death 3. Health education equips people
through the adoption of healthy with knowledge and competencies
behavior, attitudes and 4. Health education enhances the
perspectives. quality of life.

Health education has also been defined The Legal Basis of Health Education in
by the Joint Committee on Health the Nursing Curriculum
Education and Promotion Terminology
of 2001 as:  The Duties of a Nurse in Rule IV,
Art. VI, Sec. 28 of the Philippine
 "any combination of planned Nursing Act of 2002 also known
learning experiences based on as RA 9173, among which are to:
sound theories that provide o “Provide health education
individuals, groups, and to individuals, families and
communities the opportunity to communities;
acquire information and the skills o “teach, guide and supervise
needed to make quality health students in nursing
decisions.” education;
o implement programs
Health Education (World Health including the administration
Organization definition) of nursing services in
varied settings uke hospitals
 “Comprises of consciously and clincs”
constructed opportunities for
learning involving some form of Functions of Professional Health
communication designed to Educator
improve health literacy, including
improving knowledge and  Assess individual and community
developing life skills which are needs and capabilities and identify
 both internal and external resources 3. Conduct evaluation and research in
in the community; relation to health education
 Plan, develop and coordinate with 4. Serve as a health education
the different health and resource
government agencies and NGOs 5. Assess individually and community
regarding the health education needs for health education
programs; 6. Plan health education strategies,
 Do community organizing and interventions and programs
outreach; 7. Communicate and advocate for
 Conduct staff training and consult health and health education
with other health care providers
about behavioral, cultural or social The Teaching of Health Education
barriers to health;
 Conduct regular periodic  In the United States some fort
evaluation of health education states require the teaching of heath
programs; education
 Make referrals;  A comprehensive health education
 Develop audio, visual, print and curriculum consists of planned
electronic materials to be used for learning experiences which will
training and conduct of health help students achieve desirable
education classes; attitudes and practices related to
 Conduct research work and write critical health issues.
scholarly articles.
Planned Learning Experiences
The Role of the Health Educator
 Emotional health and a positive
Health Educator a professionally self-image
prepared individual who serves in a variety  Appreciation and care of the
of roles and is specifically trained to use human body and its vital organs;
appropriate educational strategies and  Physical fitness;
methods to facilitate the development of  Health issues of alcohol, tobacco,
policies, procedures, interventions, and drug use and abuse;
systems conducive to the health of  Health misconceptions and myths;
individuals, groups, and communities  Effects of exercise on the body
(Joint Committee on Terminology, 2001, systems and on general well being;
p. 100).  Nutrition and weight control;
 Sexual relationships and sexuality;
The Health Educator’s role is to help  The scientific, social, and
promote, enhance, and maintain the health economic aspects of community
of others. and ecological health;
 Communicable and degenerative
7 areas of responsibility of the health diseases including sexually
educator transmitted infections
 Disaster preparedness;
1. Implement health education  Safety and driver education;
strategies, interventions and  Environmental factors and how
programs those factors affect an individual’s
2. Administer health education or population’s environmental
strategies, interventions and health (ex: air quality, water
programs quality, food sanitation); life skills;
 choosing professional medical and Self-efficacy model, Health Belief
health services; and choices of Model and others.
health careers.
Biopsychosocial Model (BPS)
B. Issues and Trends in Health
Education  States that human experience of
health or illness is greatly affected
Trends Impacting on Health Care or determined by the interplay or
interrelatedness of the following
1. Social. demographic trends like factors:
aging of the population requires
emphasis on self-reliance and 1. Biological concerned with the
maintenance of a healthy life status functioning of the different organ
over an extended lifespan systems of the body and its coping
particularly dealing with or adaptive mechanisms like
degenerative diseases and immunity level, genetic
disabilities. susceptibility or predisposition
2. Economic. the shifts in payer 2. Psychological perceptions,
coverage, emphasis on managed thoughts, emotions, attitudes and
care and earlier hospital discharge, behaviors
and the issue on reimbursement for 3. Social factors socioeconomic
health services provided require status, cultural beliefs and
more intensive patient education to practices, poverty, technology,
allow the patient and his family a environmental influences and
more independent, compliant and conditions.
confident management of care.
3. Political. the federal government Characteristics of Effective Health
has formulated national goals and Education (Hubley, 1983)
objectives directed towards the
development of effective health  It is directed at people who are
education programs which will directly involved with health-
create awareness of health will related situations and issues in the
risks encourage the adoption of home and the community like
healthy and lifestyles. parents and people who have
influence in the community or the
George L. Engel so-called opinion markers;
 The lessons are repeated and
 a psychiatrist at the University of reinforced over time using different
Rochester, introduced the methods;
Biopsychosocial model or “BPS”.  The lessons are adaptable and use
where he advocated the need for a existing channels of
new medical model to explain communication; Ex. Songs, drama
health and disease and story telling
 Although there have been  It is entertaining and attracts the
criticisms posed against this model, community’s attention;
it has provided a general  Uses clear, simple language with
framework to guide a great deal of expressions;
researches on health behavior  Emphasizes short term benefits of
models like the social-cognitive action;
models which include Bandura’s
  Provides opportunities for Emerging Trends in Health Care
dialogue, discussion, and learner
participation and feedback;  In the United States of America,
 Uses demonstrations to show the patients are being discharged
benefits of adopting the practices quicker due to the:

Relationship Between Health Education 1. New “healthcare economics”

and Health Promotion 1. There is the present
emphasis on primary care
The primary role of health educators is to and the continuing
develop appropriate health education development of managed
programs in consultation with the people care which advocates the
they serve through; early discharged of clients
from the hospital to reduce
 Planning healthcare insurance costs
 implementing and prevent “over-
 And evaluating the health treatment of patients”
plans/programs which are unethical
practices of some doctors
Steps in developing a health and hospitals.
education/promotion program (Cottrell 2. Providers will increasingly
et al, 2001) establish “center of
excellence” to provide
 Assessing the needs of the target services effectively and at
population; moderate cost
 Developing appropriate goals and 3. Decentralization of care,
objectives; also known as Medical
 Creating and intervention that Prosumerism, is an
considers the peculiarities of the emergent issue
setting; 4. Alternative Medicine is
 Implementing the intervention; another form pfosumerism.
 Evaluating the result. Consumers use a wide
variety of folk practices to
Health Education Today and Future promotes health and
Trends potentially cure diseases
5. Medical Globalization like
 The call for developing global other industries, health care
health strategies with the is increasingly subject to
integration of health education and globalization
action is now a clamor that can no 2. Advances in medical technology
longer be ignored. Globalization,
war, terrorism, social instability, The most current development in
disease, poverty and environmental managed care is disease
degradation are among the key management (Hunter and Fairfield
challenges facing the world today 1997)
(Otieno, 2005).
o Disease management
systems “seek to improve
patient compliance with
optimal health behavior by
 promoting proper
appointment keeping,
administration of
treatments, and proper
general health behavior in
terms of lifestyle issues.

Future Directions for Patient Care

(Wasson and Anderson, 1993; Abruzzese,
1992; Anderson, 1990)

1. New settings and environmental

linkages

 most teaching will occur in the

ambulatory care setting
 inter-organizational linkages to
enhance cooperative endeavors in
the patient education enterprise
will increase
 more people are unhappy with
orthodox medicine and are turning
to alternative medicine

1. New Technologies

 the use of computer based

instruction for hospitals ambulatory
care settings, physician’s offices or
homes will increase
 the use of interactive video
programs will increase resulting to
greater access to reliable
information

1. Greater emphasis on wellness

1. wellness screening
programs will increase
2. emphasis on illness
prevention and health
promotion
3. Increased third-party
reimbursement as cost
benefit ratios demonstrate
the cost-effectiveness of
consumer education.