Community Health Education Methods Chapter 1 USING THEORY & ETHICS TO GUIDE METHOD SELECTION AND APPLICATION

Role of the Health Educator The role of a health educator is to motivate and educate individuals, families, organizations, and communities to take action in promoting behaviors conducive to safe and healthy lifestyles and environments The existence of power to make a difference creates the burden of responsibility to practice theoretically sound and ethical health education

Two Difficult Tasks Faced by Behavioral Scientists and Health Educators Changing individual or group behavior Helping individuals or groups maintain the behavior once it is changed

Methods and Theories Selecting methods without considering theory is like building a house without a foundation. The potential for the house to collapse will always be a threat.

Theories Theory: A general explanation of why people act or do not act to maintain and/or promote the health of themselves, their families, organizations, or communities. Theories that focus on individuals are based on two premises…

Individual Based Theories Behavior is determined by cognition, which in turn, results in how we act Behavior is determined by perception, levels of motivation, self-efficacy, skills, resiliency and environmental variables

Models Models are designed to support healthy lifestyles by reducing or eliminating hazards in social and physical environments. Models center on community-level change, including community organization, theories of organizational change, and diffusion of innovation, and are important in planning comprehensive community based programs.

Health Belief Model The HBM has to do with people believing in health. Health related behavior is determined by whether individuals… Perceive themselves to be susceptible to a health problem See this problem as serious Are convinced they will benefit from treatment or prevention activities Recognize the need to take action, and can identify any barriers that would interfere

Theory of Planned Behavior The Theory of Planned Behavior is based on the assumption that behavior (or intention) is determined by the persons attitude toward the behavior, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control. In other words, the more positive attitude you have towards a behavior, the outcome is more likely to be positive, and vice versa.

Transtheoretical Model This model is based on the assumption that behavior change is a process and that individuals are at varying levels of motivation or readiness to change. There are 5 levels of readiness Precontemplation Contemplation Preparation Action Maintenance

Social Cognitive Theory Basic premise is that people not only learn from their own experiences, but also by observing the actions of others and the results of those actions. 6 Key concepts to the Social Cognitive Theory Reciprocal Determinism – Behavior changes are determined from interactions between a person and their environment. Behavioral Capability – Does the person have the knowledge and skills necessary to enact a desired behavior?

Social Cognitive Theory 3) Expectations – What does the person think the payoff will be? 4) Reinforcement – The response to a person’s behavior that will increase the continuance of the behavior 5) Self-efficacy – Believing that one has the ability to take action and persist in one’s pursuits. 6) Observational Learning – The ability to learn by observing others

Diffusion of Innovation Theory Provides a process for disseminating and implementing innovations. Only theory discussed that is considered solely a community-level theory. Diffusion – To integrate, distribute, or spread widely Innovation – Something that is new or different

Ethics Ethics center around four basic principles Personal Freedom, or Autonomy – Respect people’s rights. People have the right to choose and act Nonmalificence – One should not inflict harm upon others Beneficence – One should help others, or remove harm Justice – Treat others equally and fairly

Health Educator’s Code of Ethics The Code of Ethics for the Health Education Profession states: “The health educator is to aspire to the highest possible standards of conduct and to encourage the ethical behavior of those with whom they work.”