Health Education Defined

Health education is a broad field that includes any "planned combination of educational, political, environmental, regulatory, and organizational mechanisms" that support actions and conditions to improve the quality of life of individuals, groups, and communities.

Health promotion focuses on helping individuals, communities, and organizations adopt "health-enhancing conditions and behaviors rather than attempting to minimize conditions of illness." (Joint Commission on Health Education and Health Promotion Terminology, 2001)

Students who choose the Public Health Education concentration may be advised to include additional coursework in community organizational development, advocacy, and public policy.

What is a Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES)?

Certified Health Education Specialists are trained to perform the following activities:

• Assess individual and community needs for health education
• Plan effective health education programs
• Implement health education programs
• Evaluate the effectiveness of health education programs
• Coordinate provision of health education services
• Act as a resource person in health education
• Communicate health and health education needs, concerns, and resources
• Build coalitions
• Act as an advocate for health issues
• Train volunteers and assistants
• Develop and use a variety of educational methods and materials.

The National Commission for Health Education Credentialing, Inc. (NCHEC) is the only credentialing agency certifying education professionals who are qualified in every aspect of the health education profession. A certified health education specialist must meet and kept current with national standards for delivering effective health education services.

Careers in Health Education and Promotion

Health education and health promotion specialists are employed under a range of job titles such as health education teachers, trainers, community organizers, health fitness program managers, community health educators, and patient educators.

Issues in Health Education and Promotion

Health educators design, implement and evaluate activities that help improve the health of all people, coordinating programs to address these and other concerns:

• Physical fitness
• Tobacco control and prevention
• Mind-body health
• Women's and men's health
• Medical self-care
• Environmental health
• Employee assistance programs
• Stress management
• Maternal and child health
• Nutrition
• Family life
• First aid and safety
• Alcohol and substance abuse prevention
• Chronic disease management
• HIV/AIDS
• Immunization
• Lead poisoning
• Worksite safety and ergonomics

Healthy People 2010

Healthy People 2010: Understanding and Improving Health is the primary guide for community health education into the 21st century. A coalition of agencies established two primary goals of health promotion:

• Increasing the quality and years of healthy life
• Eliminating health disparities

This document provides health planners, medical practitioners, educators, elected officials, and others concerned with health promotion with a comprehensive guide to improving the health of the nation.

All health educators, regardless of the setting, should be familiar with the goals and objectives set forth in this document.

Coordinated School Health Programs

Coordinated School Health Programs are integrated, planned, school-based programs that provide students with opportunities to become healthy and productive adults. The Coordinated School Health Program emphasizes the collaborative effort between schools and communities.

The components of the Coordinated School Health Program include, but are not limited to: comprehensive school health education; school environment; school health services; school nutrition services; counseling, psychological, and mental health services; physical education; health promotion for staff and faculty; and family/community involvement.

National Health Education Standards (NHES)

The NHES were established as the guidelines for determining health literacy in K-12 students. These guidelines are as follows:

1. Students will comprehend concepts related to health promotion and disease prevention.
2. Students will demonstrate the ability to access valid health information and health promoting products and services.
3. Students will demonstrate the ability to practice health-enhancing behaviors and reduce health risks.
4. Students will analyze the influence of culture, media, technology, and other factors on health.
5. Students will demonstrate the ability to use interpersonal communication skills to enhance health.
6. Students will demonstrate the ability to use goal-setting and decision-making skills to enhance health.
7. Students will demonstrate the ability to advocate for personal, family, and community health.

Key Professional Associations, Organizations and Links

• American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (AAHPERD), www.aahperd.org
• American Association for Health Education (AAHE), www.aahperd.org/aahe
• American College Health Association (ACHA), www.acha.org
• American Public Health Association (APHA), www.apha.org 
• Society for Public Health Education, Inc. (SOPHE), www.sophe.org
• American School Health Association (ASHA), www.ashaweb.org
• Eta Sigma Gamma, www.cast.ilstu.edu/temple/esg.htm
• Association for Worksite Health Promotion (AWHP), www.awhp.org
• National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA), www.nsca-cc.org
• American Council on Exercise (ACE), www.acefitness.org
• Cooper Institute for Aerobics Research, www.cooperinst.org
• International Health, Racquet, and Sport Club Associations, www.ihrsa.org
• American Fitness and Aerobic Association (AFAA), www.afaa.com
• American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), www.acam.org

Questions or comments? Contact Dr. Carol Stinson 502.852.0547