“Achieving wellness now and through a lifetime requires knowledge, self awareness, motivation, and effort.” Paul Insel and Walton Roth Created by Sandra Owen Dept. Kinesiology and Health Georgia State University

How does Health differ from Wellness?

Health is the absence of disease and determined by factors out of our control such as genetics, age, gender. Wellness is determined by decisions made about how to live our life and requires that we balance physical, emotional, intellectual, spiritual, social, and vocational aspects of our life.

What is “Healthy People and its two main goals?” “Healthy People” includes the national health objectives for the United States and spans a ten year period. These objectives guide health education, instruction, and research. Two main goals of “Healthy People” : 1.Increase quality and years of healthy life 2.Eliminate health disparity among Americans (health status, health risk, and use of prevention services)

How does education differ from instruction ? Education is spontaneous and is influenced by personal experiences (culture, social interactions, travel) Instruction is planned, sequential, and includes specific age appropriate teaching strategies and assessments.

How did health education historically emerge? Dates back to late 19 th century when first academic program to train school health educators was established. In 1940, quality assurance policies and early credentialing emerged. Over the next several decades, professional associations developed guidelines and accreditation. By 1970, skill based competencies were developed. Today,250 college and university programs prepare health educators at the undergraduate, masters and doctoral levels. Behavioral and social sciences have provided a strong theoretical base for health education and instruction.

They promote critical thinking and problem solving; effective communication; self-initiated learning; and self-responsibility for health choices. This is known as health literacy. How is the role of the Health Educator Defined? Facilitate and promote individual and community health by assisting individuals and communities in adopting healthy behavior. Collect and analyze data to determine individual and community health needs. Plan, implement, monitor, and evaluate health education and instruction.

What are the major areas for Health Educators? Global Health Community Health Public Health School Health Salary range is $35,000- $150,000/year

School Health Education is comprehensive and coordinated Comprehensive school health education includes: 1.National and state health education standards 2.Five components of health literacy 3.Ten major health content fields 4. Protective factors for resiliency 5. Decision-making and refusal skills Coordinated school health education includes: 1.Coordinating and integrating school health education into physical education, nutrition services, counseling 2.Promoting a safe school environment 3.Promoting health promotion services for faculty and staff 4.Involving parents and the community in the school health program CDC School Health Index assists schools in evaluating the quality of their program CDC Health Education Curriculum Assessment Tool assists schools in evaluating its health curriculum CDC School Health Education Resources

Professional Associations for Health Education Society for Public Health Educators American Public Health Association American Association of Health Education American School Health Association