The Essential Role of Health Educators

Roles and Principles of Health Educators in Different Settings

• Health educators in schools teach health as a subject and promote Coordinated School Health Programs.
• Health educators in schools also promote healthy school environments and partnerships with the community.
• Health educators at the district level develop education methods and materials for schools.
• Health educators in prisons screen and prevent communicable diseases, provide advice on high-risk lifestyle, and support healthy behavior.
• Health educators in prisons also develop life skills and provide training and support in psychological skills.
• Health educators in refugee camps provide education and training on health care, address relevant topics, and teach communities about hygiene and screening.
• Health educators in refugee camps also organize educational sessions on personal hygiene and waterborne diseases.
• To facilitate patient education success, health educators should take advantage of educational technology.
• Health educators should determine the patient's learning style and use different modalities to reinforce teaching.
• Health educators should stimulate the patient's interest and consider their limitations and strengths.
• Health educators should include family members in health care management to improve the chances of instructions being followed.
• Principles of effective health education include an interested manner, readiness of learner, positive manner, practical knowledge, classification of health education, better communication, based on need, teaching aids, motivation, socially accepted, credibility, reinforcement, and known to unknown.
• The purposes of health education are to offer information, resources, and solutions for healthier lifestyle decisions, educate on the importance of physical and environmental health, and focus on physical well-being and the importance of physical examinations.