Concept of Health Education

This topic introduced the concept of Health Education in details i.e
Meaning of Health Education
Objectives of Health Education,
Factors affecting/influencing the health of individual,
History of Health Education in Nigeria
Health agencies in Nigeria (national, state, local and international), etc

1. CONCEPT OF HEALTH EDUCATION OLD AND NEW CONCEPTS OF HEALTH HEALTH PROMOTION AND HEALTH MAINTENANCE DEFINITIONS OF HEALTH AS THEY RELATE TO ONE'S CONCEPT OBJECTIVES OF HEALTH EDUCATION HISTORY AND DEVELOPMENT OF HEALTH EDUCATION IN NIGERIA FACTORS AFFECTING THE HEALTH OF INDIVIDUAL COMPONENTS OF WELL-BEING HEALTH AGENCIES E.G. WHO, UNICEF, FAO, NAFDAC ETC

2. OLD AND NEW CONCEPTS OF HEALTH The meaning or concept generally attached to health has undergone many changes. The meaning changes with time and social conditions. Those in rich and affluent society have idea or concept of health different from those in primitive and poor society. In the past health was equated to hygiene. This concept influenced people's actions regarding how to be healthy. Hygiene was taught in primary schools. Daily health inspection of the hair, teeth, and clothes became part of health inspections in primary schools. This concept seems to have changed. In recent times, the concept of health shifted to physical fitness . So jogging and exercising physically were nationally and internationally popularized. More recently, health has been viewed as a result of a style of living. In other words, one can achieve high quality or level of health if one adopts the right type of behaviour. Although it has been pointed out earlier that a person can only reach the level of health for which he has the genetic potentials, it is believed that many people operate below that level. In that regard, the function of health education is to make people reach their health potential. This can be achieved through a correct life style that promotes health. It is important for teachers to be aware that the meaning or concept they give to health can affect in one way or the other their effectiveness of teaching of health education. Health education is a field of study in science which deals with human lives and healthy living. It is the sum of experience which favorably influenced habit, attitudes and knowledge related to individuals and the community. Health education is the translation of what is known about health into desirable individual and community behavioral patterns by means of educational processes. According to Mohammed, Suleiman and Umar (2013), health education is the combination of learning or opportunities and teaching activities designed to facilitate voluntary adaptation of behaviour that are conducive to health.

3. HEALTH PROMOTION AND HEALTH MAINTENANCE Health promotion is "the process of enabling people to increase control over their health and its determinants, and thereby improve their health" (WHO,2005). Health promotion involves public policy that addresses health determinants such as income, housing, food security, employment, and quality working conditions. Health promotion is focused on preventive healthcare rather than a medical model of curative care .

4. The following strategies are available in the school for health promotion. Identifying the health potential of the pupils through Health Education. Manipulating the environmental factors in the school that affect pupils’ health. The factors include health facilities and promotion of adequate nutrition through school lunch where possible, provision of recreational activities etc. Provision of knowledge through health inspections. The knowledge is to include information about causes of disease and how to avoid disease. Health supervision and emergency case through health services. This step will prevent minor conditions becoming worse. Motivating the pupils to adopt habits that are favourable to health and to reject those that are harmful to health. This can be achieved through the promotion of appropriate experiences for the pupils to interact with, and through the teacher's example.

5. Health maintenance is a means of encouraging that health does not deteriorate or get worse, or even fluctuate too much. In other words, it means maintaining or retaining present status within a reasonable range. Health maintenance is a guiding principle in health care that emphasizes health promotion and disease prevention rather than the management of symptoms and illness. It includes the full array of counseling, screening, and other preventive services designed to minimize the risk of premature sickness and death and to assure optimal physical, mental, and emotional health throughout the natural life cycle. The body has inbuilt mechanism for ensuring that it makes constant adjustments or adaptive to remain within a particular range of health. The mechanisms include immunity and homeostasis . Homeostasis refers to a natural tendency for the body to return to its normal or usual state. It is the ability of a system or living organism to adjust its internal environment to maintain a stable equilibrium; such as the ability of warm-blooded animals to maintain a constant temperature. As example of this principle in the body is maintenance of body temperature. By this mechanism, heat is generated from a breakdown of the food we eat, and heat is lost through the blood capillaries in the skin.

6. DEFINITIONS OF HEALTH AS THEY RELATE TO ONE'S CONCEPT Health has a wide range of meaning and definition. The World Health Organization (W.H.O.) defined health as follows: ‘A state of complete physical, mental and social well-being not merely the absence of disease or infirmity”. The WHO’s definition of health embraces these aspects of life namely. Physical aspect Mental aspect Social aspect Also the definition stresses complete wellness.

7. Parson's definition views health in terms of or in relation to the ability to perform roles or functions expected of the person. You should note, however, the requirement for optimum capacity to perform the roles that is the biggest capacity possible for that individual. With this definition, there is a temptation to claim health if one is able to function even in the presence of disease or discomfort . In other words, if a teacher has a slight fever but is able to give his lecture she might be tempted to claim that he is healthy. In so doing, the person loses sight of the requirement of optimum capacity to perform the role.

8. Another definition of health is provided in Chambers Dictionary as follows: “Health is a condition in which the individual is able to mobilize all his resources for optimum living Resources here refer to physical, intellectual and emotional resources. This definition is similar in orientation to that provided by Parson. The two definitions view health in relation to performance. There are other definitions that have the same type of focus. Such definitions are said to be relative because they relate to the concept of health to a situation.

9. These definitions differ in orientation from that provided by WHO. That of WHO insists on complete or absolute well being. Any deviation from it is not health that is taught in formal health education lessons. Health education is concerned with acquisition of health knowledge and dissemination of health information necessary to promote health of individuals.

10. OBJECTIVES OF HEALTH EDUCATION To develop the kind of educated person who understands the basic facts about health, disease, protection, promotion, and implementation on health and that of his community. To help the student acquire knowledge, habits and attitudes that will contribute to the individual’s health. To maintain standard health of individual and serve as example to others. To know more about various diseases and communicable diseases. To provide emergency care services to injured and accident victims in our community. The need of nutrition education as an implement aspect for the promotion of health-full living. The awareness of the fact that we live in a natural world of later dependence and social interaction. The development of health education consciousness among children who will become future parents. Effective promotion of growth and development of every child, taking into consideration his health needs problems and interests. The awareness of the co-operative efforts among schools, home and community in health promotion.

11. HISTORY AND DEVELOPMENT OF HEALTH EDUCATION IN NIGERIA Western medicine was formally introduced to Nigeria in 1860 when the sacred heart hospital was built by Roman Catholic missionaries in Abeokuta. The Sudan united and the Sudan interior missions played some important roles like building hospitals, maternity and clinics in the northern and then middle belt areas of Nigeria. The British colonial government began medical services and health education with the construction of several clinics and hospitals in Lagos, Calabar and other coastal trading centers in 1870. In 1912, the health education training was based on personal hygiene and general sanitation of environment. In 1946, a ten-year health development plan was announced. The development of health education was further enhanced with the establishment of the University of Ibadan complete with the facility of medicine and a university college hospital in 1948. In 1979, there were 562 general hospitals 16 maternity or pediatric hospitals, 11 armed forces hospitals, 6 teaching hospitals and 3 prison hospitals. All together accounted to 44600 hospital beds. Health education developed more rapidly when expanded programme on immunization (EPI) and primary health care were introduced in 1987. Today, health education is taught in most of the primary, secondary and tertiary schools in Nigeria.

12. FACTORS AFFECTING THE HEALTH OF INDIVIDUAL The factors which are responsible for or which influence the quality of well-being are many. The principal; groups of determinants will be discussed below: Heredity Environment Behaviour Health service

13. HEREDITY Heredity refers to innate ability. It includes all genetic traits. Examples of genetic or inherited factors are: Anatomical make up e.g. height and body build. Ability to resist disease Susceptibility (or tendency) to certain diseases and condition. Intellectual or cognitive Artistic talent Heredity serves as the foundation upon which all other factors act it supplies the raw materials which structures the kind of well-being we can enjoy. It determines the health potential of an individual determines the level of health that is possible for an individual. Some of the inherited traits contribute to behaviour.

14. ENVIRONMENT Environment has physical, biological, emotional and social components. examples of environmental factors are: Physical components e.g. water, food Biological components e.g. micro-organisms Emotional components e.g. affection feeling etc. Social components e.g. socio cultural heritage. Environment determines the extent which inherited traits can develop. They can be favourable or unfavorable to health. They may be appropriate for improving inherited traits. For example, adequate nutrients are favourable to health. On the other hand, the environment can determine health and limit the full development of some inherited traits. For example, inadequate nutrients limit the development of height. Dirty physical surrounding is a breeding ground for all kinds of diseases.

15. BEHAVIOUR Behaviour refers to a style of living. It includes cultural- behaviour which is a pattern of living that is common to a group of persons. Behaviour interacts with environment to affect inherited traits. Behaviour may be favourable to health. For example, adopting measures that promote the formation of desirable health. Such behaviours includes covering the mouth when sneezing, and observing personal hygiene. On the other hand, behaviour can undermine health. Such behaviour includes indiscriminate use of drugs, drunkenness etc.

16. HEALTH SERVICE Health services are sometimes classified as an aspect of the environment but they also constitute a major factor on their own. Health services provide facilities for monitoring health. For example, health services provide services for medical check-up. Health services also provide facilities for protecting health. For example, immunization services are designed for health protection. In addition, health services provide facilities for restoring health when it has failed. For example, there are diagnostic and therapeutic facilities to cope with diseases and disorders. Examples of health services are: Immunization services, health centres, psychiatric hospitals, ante-natal clinics etc. The higher the quality of health services the better the health of the people. These major groups of factors interact to determine health and influence the quality and quantity of optimal (highest) well-being.

17. COMPONENTS OF WELL-BEING Physical well-being: It is characterized by efficient functioning organs and body systems. Emotional well-being: It is characterized by ability to cope successfully with the stress of daily living. Social well-being: It is characterised by cultivating close friendship. Cultural well-being: It is characterised by a responsible involvement in community affairs. Spiritual well-being: It is characterised by a sense of worth or purpose in life. Any aspects of these components of well-being can be reduced by effects of ill-health or unfavorable conditions. Reduction in optimal (highest) well-being in any of the components also affect other components. For example, physical discomfort gives rise to pain. Pain affect emotional well-being. Reactions pain can attract sympathy or annoyance from others thus involving social well-being. Reactions to pain is sometimes culturally determined to some cultures one is expected to bear pain and not attract others to it. If the pain sufferer therefore attracts attention to the pain his cultural well-being may be affected. Pains can serve as a spiritual strength through endurance. The illustration stresses the wholeness or in developing the components of well-being.

18. HEALTH AGENCIES Health agency is a structured body or organization or association formed with the intent of providing health or medical or health related social services or assistance to a group or a particular group of people in the community. These agencies belong to government, private individuals or voluntary organizations. These agencies are present in the community performing social services in preventing / curative/ eliminating health problems in Nigeria communities. Example of these agencies include Red Cross, Hospitals Medical and Dental Associations, Planned Parenthood Federation of Nigeria, National Drug Enforcement Agency; Food and Drug Administration etc.

19. NATIONAL HEALTH AGENCIES Many federal or national health agencies exist in the community. Some of the health agencies include : The Federal Ministry of Health Federal Road Safety Corp Food and Drug Administration Federal Environmental Protection Agency (FEPA ) Nigeria Drug Law Enforcement Agency Specialist and Teaching Hospitals The Nigerian Red Cross Society

20. STATE HEALTH AGENCIES In Nigeria, each state has the responsibility for the protection of the health of its citizens, the state has the overall power in this regard. Each state has agencies for protecting the health of its citizens. Some of them are as follows State Ministry of Health State Health Management Boards Voluntary Private Health Agencies Voluntary Health Associations

21. LOCAL HEALTH AGENCIES Let us identify local health agencies The Village Health Post The dispensary Private/Voluntary Health Centres Health-Related professional Associations Voluntary Health Agencies

22. WORLD HEALTH AGENCIES Let us identify world health agencies W.H.O: World Health Organization UNICEF : United National Children Emergency Fund: (An International Organization )

23. THANKS FOR YOUR ATTENTION