Health education is a branch of medicine that develops methods of hygienic culture. Sanitary and hygienic education disseminates among citizens the necessary knowledge and skills with the goal of protecting and strengthening public health, preventing diseases, maintaining activity and high working capacity throughout all periods of life, longevity, and educating the younger generation.
Principles and Objectives
Sanitary and hygienic education is a branch of medical science that is engaged in the development and implementation of methods to improve sanitary culture in all segments of the population. The tasks of health education include not only the dissemination of a hygienic culture, but also the incentive for citizens to introduce their knowledge into daily life activities, and to promote healthy hygiene habits. Educational work is based on the experience not only of medicine, as a science, but also the experience of sociology, pedagogy, psychology.
The basic principles of health education in the Russian Federation:
- State significance.
- Scientific approach.
- Accessibility of events for the population.
- Mass coverage of all target audiences.
Forms
Forms of health education are based on effective methods of propaganda and agitation, which are carried out in the following forms:
- Oral transmission of information (personal and group conversations, lectures, discussions, direct communication with patients in the format of questions and answers, etc.).
- Mass media (television, radio, periodicals , thematic films, broadcasts, etc.).
- Visual agitation (brochures, posters, leaflets, memos, etc.).
- Combination of funds (use of several channels).
Active methods
Active methods of spreading hygienic and sanitary culture include lectures, discussions, seminars, round tables, "patient schools", etc. That is, the most effective methods of health education are those where the lecturer or health worker has direct contact with the audience. Getting feedback is important in that it makes it possible to find out how understandable the read material was, to help answer all questions of concern to the public, to understand what topics need more full disclosure and what knowledge or skills the target audience lacks.
To consolidate the knowledge gained, participants in conversations or lectures are given printed materials in the form of newsletters, leaflets, memos, etc. Often, lectures are accompanied by thematic exhibitions, where sanitary-hygienic literature is distributed. A lecture is one of the methods of active propaganda and covers a significant number of students. The disadvantage of this form of education is the limited audience and short-term impact.
Another active form of disseminating knowledge and the educational process is conversation. For a thematic conversation, it is enough to allocate 15-20 minutes. In preparing this form of propaganda, they rely on factual material, give specific recommendations on the topic of conversation, and suggest methods for achieving the desired result. The task of the oral method of health education includes the transfer of knowledge about disease prevention, healthy lifestyles, occupational health and everyday life, etc.
Passive methods
Passive methods have less effect in solving tactical tasks, but strategically have no less impact on the audience. Means of this type of dissemination of knowledge and educational work are:
- Television (thematic films, documentaries, programs, television magazines, etc.).
- Printed media (newspapers, magazines, non-fiction, educational literature, etc.).
- Radio (broadcasts, conversations, radio productions, etc.).
- Visual agitation (posters, brochures, leaflets, visual arts, etc.).
Passive knowledge transfer is widespread and encompasses large groups of the population — regional centers, cities, republics, or the country as a whole.
Directions
Health education has several goals, one of which is to promote a healthy lifestyle. Dissemination of information and attracting the population is carried out by methods of agitation and propaganda and covers all areas of hygiene:
- Personal, public.
- Labor (all types of activities - industrial, humanitarian, agricultural, etc.).
- Occupational diseases.
- Housing, nutrition and education.
- The fight against injuries.
The second goal of advocacy in the field of public health education is the introduction of activities aimed at the prevention of diseases into the daily activities of every person.
At the present stage, attention is paid to the prevention of such pathologies:
- Cardiovascular diseases (hypertension, atherosclerosis, ischemia).
- Oncological diseases (early diagnosis of precancerous conditions).
- Tuberculosis.
- Sexually transmitted diseases.
- Acute colds.
Educational activity is carried out taking into account the characteristics of the target audience to which it is addressed (national traditions, gender, age, field of activity, etc.).
Institutions
The scientific and methodological center of sanitary-hygienic education is the Central Scientific Research Institute of Medical Problems promoting a healthy lifestyle.
The institution conducts research in the following areas:
- Medical and social aspects of healthy lifestyle.
- Improving the system and methods of health education.
- Educational work to protect the health of women and children.
Educational and educational work is an obligatory part of the activity of each medical institution and all health workers. In the Russian Federation, all treatment and prevention organizations are required to carry out appropriate activities aimed at educating the population.
The main activity in sanitary-hygienic education is in the competence of the centers for preventive work, as well as specialized prevention rooms at outpatient clinics and clinics. Also, international organizations (the Society of sobriety, the Red Cross, etc.) make their contribution to the organization of enlightenment.
Outreach in clinics
Medical facilities at each level apply their own approaches to public health education. For outpatient clinics and clinics, the most effective method of promoting healthy lifestyle is to attract healthy citizens to regularly undergo preventive examinations.
During the clinical examination, healthy people are told about the benefits of a healthy lifestyle, recommendations are made on the available types of physical activity, tips on the nutrition system, and campaigns are conducted to combat bad habits.
Doctors of the clinic give advice on disease prevention to citizens with an identified threat of pathology, talk about the first signs and symptoms of the disease, be sure to get a memo with systematized material about the rules and correction of hygienic behavior.
Patients with chronic diseases are registered, invited to classes and lectures. During these events, patients are told about methods of pre-medical self-help, they are given recommendations on maintaining health and preventing exacerbations of the disease.
Clinics actively use visual agitation - health corners, posters calling for a healthy lifestyle, and materials about the most common diseases and methods of their prevention are posted near specialist offices. Doctors conduct individual interviews with patients, answer all questions, give personalized recommendations for correcting sanitary behavior in all types of life activities.
Hospital education
Sanitary educational work in inpatient settings is concentrated on informing patients about the rules of hygienic behavior in the hospital and after discharge from it. The attending physician and nurse advise the patient on general hygiene issues, give recommendations that contribute to a speedy recovery.
In hospitals for patients, they organize lectures, discussions, questions and answers evenings, involve patients in thematic discussions. These forms of propaganda and agitation are carried out both individually and in groups united by the common problems of one disease, bad habits or lifestyle.
Health education in the foci of epidemics is aimed at calling on patients for early hospitalization, the same work is being done with the closest relatives of the affected people. Sanitary briefing of the population of the epidemic region
Briefing and training
Compulsory health education courses are held for employees of certain specialties:
- Hairdressers, bath attendants.
- Sellers of grocery products.
- Laundry staff.
- Workers of water stations and housing services, etc.
For each category of employment there is a certain course, depending on the characteristics and specifics of the activity. The subjects required to study, regardless of the field of activity, are:
- Environmental protection.
- Public health (protection of water sources, atmosphere, recycling and waste disposal, prevention of occupational diseases).
- Protection of the employee’s health (general rules of hygiene and sanitary safety, compliance with occupational health and safety at the workplace, use of personal protective equipment at work, etc.).
Knowledge is the way to health
The role of health education is to actively promote a healthy lifestyle among citizens. By methods of propaganda and agitation, medical and social workers convince citizens of the need to comply with the rules of sanitary culture.
The ultimate goal of public health education is strong beliefs, reinforced by habits and actions aimed at maintaining health, mental and physical activity, participation in professional examinations, and disease prevention.