INTRODUCTION TO HEALTH EDUCATION AND HEALTH …

1 1 | P a g e I n t r o d u c t i o n t o H E / H P INTRODUCTION TO HEALTH EDUCATION AND HEALTH promotion HEALTH EDUCATION is a part of HEALTH care which are concerned with promoting healthy behaviors. It is through HEALTH EDUCATION we help peoples to understand their behaviors and how it affects their HEALTH and encourage them to make their own choices for healthy life. Definition of HEALTH EDUCATION and promotion Before discussing about HEALTH EDUCATION , it is important to conceptualize what HEALTH itself means. HEALTH is a very abstract concept to conceptualize and measure and it is too difficult to put in words. There have been many attempts to define HEALTH in meaningful ways, but opinions regarding what has to be understood by HEALTH differ across and within HEALTH care disciplines.

2 For centuries, HEALTH was defined in terms of the absence of physical disability. From this medical-biological point of view, only persons suffering from chronic diseases or a physical handicap were considered to be unhealthy. According to this definition, individual is healthy if all the body parts; cells, tissues, organs, organ systems are functioning well. It is easy to see that this definition is rather narrow, since it only incorporates physical factors, and therefore is not very useful in the field of maintaining, improving or sustaining HEALTH . HEALTH has both objective and subjective aspects. Someone may have a disease without feeling ill, or, conversely, someone may feel ill without having a disease in the medical sense.

3 Therefore, HEALTH is defined in its broader and more holistic concept. The most commonly accepted definition is that formulated in the WHO (1948), which defines HEALTH , as: A state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being not merely the absence of disease or infirmity. This classic definition is important, as it identifies the vital components of HEALTH . To more fully understand the meaning of HEALTH , it is important to understand each components of HEALTH 1. Physical HEALTH : - It is the absence of diseases or disability on the body parts - It is the biological integrity and the physiological well-functioning of the human body - It is the ability to perform routine tasks without any physical restriction.

4 2. Mental HEALTH Termed as psychological HEALTH and it is subjective sense of well-being. It has two major components: A) Cognitive component - It is the ability of an individual to learn, perceive and, think clearly. A person is said to be mentally retarded if he/she cannot learn something new at a pace in which an ordinary person learns. 2 | P a g e I n t r o d u c t i o n t o H E / H P B) Emotional component Is the ability of expressing emotions ( fear, happiness, and to be angry) in an appropriate way. It is the ability to maintain one s own integrity in the presence of stressful situations (tensions, depression and anxiety). if somebody gets into coma during an examination.

5 3. Social HEALTH Is the ability to make and maintain acceptable and proper interaction and communication with other people and the social environment; satisfying interpersonal relationship and role fulfillment. For example, to mourn when close family member dies, to celebrate festivals, to create and maintain friendship etc. Mahler extends the WHO definition; accordingly, he defined HEALTH as; The ability to lead socially and economically productive life and he come up with five components of HEALTH by adding the concept of emotional HEALTH and spiritual HEALTH Emotional HEALTH the same definition as WHO; but put as separate component. Spiritual HEALTH It is also called personal HEALTH and is a reflection of self-actualization.

6 It is a relation of HEALTH with religion or cultural values and beliefs and is a way of achieving mental satisfaction in stressful or in other ill- HEALTH conditions. All the above aspects of HEALTH are interrelated and interdependent. Physical problems can lead to mental problems and vies versa. Therefore, HEALTH should be viewed as a holistic concept. The approach helps HEALTH professionals and community members to realize and act accordingly based on the multiple factors that affect HEALTH directly or indirectly. APPROACHES TO ACHIEVE HEALTH Legal or regulatory approach: focuses on the use of the law to protect the HEALTH of the public Administrative or service approach: concerned with making HEALTH facilities accessible to the people Educational approach: designed to improve HEALTH literacy, knowledge, and life skills conducive to individual and community HEALTH HEALTH EDUCATION /HE/ HEALTH EDUCATION is a part of HEALTH care concerned with promoting healthy behaviors.

7 Since individual s behavior can be the main causes of HEALTH problems, and it can also be the main solution. Through HE we help peoples to understand their behaviors and how it affects their HEALTH and encourage them to make their own choices for healthy life, without any coercion. HEALTH EDUCATION as aimed at bringing about behavioral changes in individuals, groups, and larger populations from behaviors that are presumed to be detrimental to HEALTH , to behaviors that are conducive to present and future HEALTH . 3 | P a g e I n t r o d u c t i o n t o H E / H P HEALTH EDUCATION covers the continuum from disease prevention and promotion of optimal HEALTH to the detection of illness to treatment, rehabilitation, and long-term care.

8 It includes infectious and chronic diseases, as well as attention to environmental issues. Therefore, HEALTH EDUCATION is defined as: Any combination of learning experiences designed to facilitate voluntary action conducive to HEALTH Elaboration of the definition: - - Combination: it emphasizes on the importance of matching multiple determinants of behaviors with multiple learning experiences or educational intervention - Designed: distinguishes HEALTH EDUCATION from incidental learning experiences as a systematically planned and organized activity. - Facilitate: creating favorable condition such as predispose, enable, reinforce. - Voluntary: with full understanding and acceptance of the purpose of the action.

9 - Action: means behavioural steps taken by an individual, group or community to achieve an intended HEALTH effect. In general HEALTH EDUCATION is referred to as the process by which individuals and groups of people learn to behave in a manner conducive to the promotion , maintenance or restoration of HEALTH . The declaration of Alma-Ata(1978) emphasized the need for individual and community participation and they come up with definition: A process aimed at encouraging people to want to be healthy, to know how to stay healthy, to do what they can individually and collectively to maintain HEALTH , and to seek help when needed. HEALTH promotion To reach a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being it is beyond the activity of HEALTH EDUCATION and even HEALTH sectors.

10 In other words, HEALTH is not just the responsibility of HEALTH sector alone, but the responsibility of every sectors working for development. Thus, the concern for HEALTH outside to the healthcare sector is the call for HEALTH promotion . HEALTH promotion is the process of enabling people to increase control over, and to improve their HEALTH . It is a positive concept emphasizing personal, social, political and institutional resources, as well as physical capacities. HEALTH promotion is an umbrella term that includes disease prevention, improvement of HEALTH , and enhancing well-being. HEALTH promotion can be defined as: A combination of educational and environmental supports for actions and condition of living conducive to HEALTH .