Health Education Prof. Ashry Gad Mohamed 1

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. 2

What is Health Education? Any combination of learning experience designed to facilitate voluntary adaptation of behavior conductive to health. OR Process which affects changes in the health practices of people and in the knowledge and attitude related to such changes. OR Planned 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 Style Social policy Environmental Safety 4

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. 5

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. 6

5.To encourage appropriate use of health services especially preventive services. 6. To inform the public about medical advances, their uses and their limitations. 7

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) 8

Contents of health education 1.Personal hygiene 2.Proper health habits 3.Nutrition education 4.Personal preventive measures 5.Safety rules 6.Proper use of health services 7.Mental health 8.Sex education 9.Special education (occupation, mothers …..etc) 9

Principles of Health education 1.Interest 2.Participation 3.Proceed from known to unknown 4.Comprehension 5.Reinforcement by repetition 6.Motivation 7.Learning by doing 10

8. Know the customs, habits, and needs. 9. Good human relations 10. Leaders 11

Steps for adopting new ideas Awareness Interest Evaluation Trial Adoption 12

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Strategies for health education Communication skills: Sender Media Receiver (codes) (message) (codes) 14

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 areas 15

Strategies for health education Communicator (educator) – Clear – Confident – Creditable – Concepts clear – Concise message 16

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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) Receiver Decodes message and behavior change??? 18

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 community 19

Practice 1-Individual Face to face Education through spoken word A- Occasions of health appraisal B- Home visits Nurses Health visitors Social workers 20

2-Group a. Lessons and lectures in schools b.Lectures in work places e.g. factories c.Demonstration and training 3- Mass media 1.Broadcasting: radio & TV 2.Written word: newspapers, posters, booklets 3.Others e.g. theaters 21

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 22

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 23

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Reference book & page number for the lecture resource 25