Core Elements Of Health Education And Risk Reduction Activities

Core Elements of Health Education and Risk Reduction Activities

A number of core elements should be considered in health education and risk reduction program and evaluation activities.

Effective Health Education and Risk Reduction program activities:

* State realistic, specific, measurable, and attainable program goals and objectives.

* Identify methods and activities to achieve specific goals and objectives.

* Define staff roles, duties, and responsibilities.

* Define the populations to be served by geographic locale, risk behavior(s), gender, sexual orientation, and race/ethnicity.

* Assure that educational materials and messages are relevant, culturally competent, and language- and age-appropriate.

* Include professional development for all program staff.

* Include a written policy and personnel procedures that address stress and burnout.

* Include written procedures for the referral and tracking of clients to appropriate services outside of the agency.

* Provide for collaboration with other local service providers to assure access to services for clients.

* Assure confidentiality of persons served.

Effective Health Education and Risk Reduction evaluation activities:

* Include process evaluation.

* Require consistent and accurate data collection procedures, including number of persons served, quantity and type of literature or materials distributed, and demographics of persons served. A description of the tools to be used and definitions of various measurements (e.g., "unit of service" and "contact") should be outlined.

* Include staff supervision, observation, evaluation, and feedback on a regular basis.

* Include feedback from persons served.

* Designate staff who are responsible for evaluation and quality assurance activities, for compiling and analyzing data, and for documenting and reviewing findings.

* Define methods for assessing progress toward stated process goals/outcome objectives.

* Include mechanisms for measuring the use of referral services.

* Provide findings for program modifications.

Principles of Health Education and Health Promotion

(3rd Edition). J. Thomas Butler, Morton Publishing Company.

Course Description: Health Education is defined as "any combination of learning opportunities designed to facilitate voluntary adaptations of behavior (in individuals, groups, or communities) conducive to health. Therefore, this experience will introduce the learner to concepts fundamental to health education and to a larger extent, health promotion.

In other words, Health Education is learning to educate about health, so just because you lift weights, run marathons, and eat like a really boring health freak that nobody wants to be around because all you do is talk about fat grams and calories and oh I can't eat that, it's not on my diet, can I have the brown rice with no butter, no salt, cooked in purified water and then just kill me doesn't mean you can educate others about health. It is a science based on understanding others and their motivations.

Course Objectives: At the completion of this course, the student will be able to:

1. Define health education to those you interact with;

2. Explain why learning the design, implementation and evaluation

of health education (process) are more important than being a

health knowledge expert (product);

3. Analyze the impact of culture, media, teaching, politics, etc., on health;

4. Critically examine health resources and learn to separate fact from fiction;

5. Understand that this is a SCIENCE that is based in theory and has practical applications.

Attendance Policy: Regular attendance will not be taken in this class. It is the responsibility of the student to attend class. There will however be in class activities, etc., that will be used to take attendance at random approx. 8 times. If 2 classes where attendance is taken are missed, a half a letter grade will be deducted from your final grade. If 3 classes are missed, a full letter grade will be deducted, etc. It is strongly encouraged that you attend class because I rely on what you bring to the class as a catalyst for discussion.

Evaluation Criteria: Class grades will be based on two exams, interview, and reaction papers.

Grades: Percent

Mid-term and final.......................40%

Interview....................................30%

Reaction papers.........................30%

* The mid-term and final will cover the first and second half of the semester, respectively. They will be constructed from material in the text, lecture notes, and anything else we cover.

* The interview will require the student to visit a health educator and ask them a series of questions. Presentations on this interview will be given to the class at the end of the semester. Complete details will be given in class. (This can be done alone or in groups of no more than 3)

* Reaction papers will be your thoughts on issues and topics in health. These papers will be assigned at my leisure. They are to be no longer than 2 pages in length, typed, double-spaced. These reaction papers must be turned in on the due date provided. No excuses.

Make-Up Policy: A missed written examination may only be made up when a student follows this procedure: 1) informs the professor of their impending absence, and, 2) documents their absence with evidence satisfactory to the