L1.pdf - Definition of Community and Health Education - PDF

3 Definition of Community  What is community?  Community could be defined as organized groups of people who share a sense of belonging, beliefs, norms, and leadership and who usually interact within a defined geographical area.  E.g. People living in “Jeddah"  People organized under one religi...

3 Definition of Community  What is community?  Community could be defined as organized groups of people who share a sense of belonging, beliefs, norms, and leadership and who usually interact within a defined geographical area.  E.g. People living in “Jeddah"  People organized under one religion (Muslims) 4 Examples of community  The people of the city of Makkah (location)  The Asian\ Hispanic community of London (race\ ethnicity)  Seniors in the church (age),  The banking communities (occupation)  The homeless of London (specific problem)  Those on welfare in London (particular outcome),  Local union members (common bond) 5 In-class activity  What do you think about the following:  Men under fifty  Adolescents  Prisoners  ALL OF THESE ARE POPULATIONS NOT COMMUNITIES 6 Definition of Health  What is Health?  WHO defined health as “a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not the mere absence of disease or infirmity.” 7 Definition of Health Education  Health education has been defined in many ways by different authors and experts.  Lawrence Green defined it as “a combination of learning experiences designed to facilitate voluntary actions conducive to health.” 8 Definition of Health Education  The terms “combination, designed, facilitate and voluntary action” have significant implications in this definition.  Combination: emphasizes the importance of matching the multiple determinants of behavior with multiple learning experiences or educational interventions.  Designed: distinguishes health education from incidental learning experiences as systematically planned activity.  Facilitate means create favorable conditions for action.  Voluntary action means behavioral measures are undertaken by an individual, group or community to achieve an intended health effect without the use of force, i.e., with full understanding and acceptance of purposes. 9 In-class discussion  Health education and health promotion are terms that are sometimes used interchangeably. Is it correct? Let's see!  Health Education is “a combination of learning experiences designed to facilitate voluntary actions conducive to health.”  Health promotion is “any planned combination of educational, political, environmental, regulatory, or organizational mechanisms that support actions and conditions of living conducive to the health of individuals, groups, and communities.  So, it is incorrect because health education is only a part of health promotion. 10 Aims and principles of health education Aims:  People are informed about the different diseases, their etiology and how to prevent them.  Motivating people to adopt health-promoting behaviors by providing appropriate knowledge and helping to develop positive attitude.  Helping people to make decisions about their health and acquire the necessary confidence and skills to put their decisions into practice. 11 Basic Principles  1. Effective planning of any health education programme depends on identifying the problems/ needs of the people.  2. All health education should be need-based. Therefore, before involving any individual, group or community in health education with a particular purpose or for a program the need should be ascertained.  3. It has to be also specific and relevant to the problems and available solutions.  4. It has to be also specific and relevant to the problems and available solutions. Health education aims at change of behaviour. Therefore, the multidisciplinary approach is necessary for an understanding of human behaviour as well as for an effective teaching process 12 Basic Principles  6. Any proposal for a change of practice should:  Meet a felt need of the community.  Be simple to put into practice with the existing knowledge and skills in the community.  Fit in with existing lifestyle and culture and not conflict with local beliefs.  Be locally affordable (money, materials, and time) 13 Basic Principles 7. Communication  A. It is necessary to have a free flow of communication. The two-way communication is particularly important in health education to help in getting proper feedback and get doubt cleared.  B. The health educator should use terms that can be immediately understood. Highly scientific jargon should be avoided. 14 Basic Principles  8.The health educator has to adjust his talk and action to suit the group for whom he has to give health education.  E.g. when the health educator has to deal with illiterates and poor people, he has to get down to their level of conversation and human relationships so as to reduce any social distance. 15 Basic Principles  9. The health educator should:  A. Determine the level of literacy and understanding of the audience.  B. Language of communication, understandable to the audience  C. Use of technical or medical terms should be avoided.  C. Poor knowledge people, he has to get down to their level of conversation and human relationships so as to reduce any social distance. 16 Basic Principles  10.Health Education should provide an opportunity for the clients to go through the stages of identification of problems, planning, implementation and evaluation. This is of special importance in the health education of the community where the identification of problems and planning, implementing and evaluating are to be done with full involvement of the community to make it the community’s own program. 17 Basic Principles  11.Health Education is based on scientific findings and current knowledge. Therefore, a health educator should have recent scientific knowledge to provide health education. 18 Basic Principles  12.Health educators should :  Have to make themselves acceptable.  Realize that they are enablers and not teachers.  Have to win the confidence of clients. 19 Basic Principles  13. health educators should not only have correct information with them on all matters that they have to discuss but, also they should practice what they profess. Otherwise, they will not enjoy credibility. 20 Basic Principles 14.Known to Unknown  A. It must be remembered that people are not absolutely without any information or ideas.  B. The health educators are not merely passing information but also give an opportunity for the clients to analyze fresh ideas with old ideas, compare with past experience and take decisions that are found favorable and beneficial.  C. People will learn step by step and not everything together.