Health education, information and communication

Basic slides for third year medical students on health education, information and communication.

1. Health Education , Information &
Communication
Dr. Rajan Bikram Rayamajhi
Senior Resident
School of Community Medicine and Tropical Diseases
B. P. Koirala Institute of Health Sciences
Dharan, Nepal

2. A state of complete physical, mental & social
wellbeing & not merely an absence of disease or
infirmity that enables an individual to lead socially &
economically productive life.
(WHO Definition of Health)
Health Education is concerned with establishing
changes in personal and group attitudes and behavior
that promote healthier living.
It is the foundation of a preventive health care system.
Correct info. is the basic part of health education.

3. Health education is a process by which individuals and
groups of people learn to behave in a manner conclusive to the
promotion, maintenance or restoration of health.
( John M. Last )
The dynamic definition of Health Education was given by
Alma Ata Declaration 1978.
“A process aimed at encouraging people to be healthy, to
know how to stay healthy, to do what they can do individually
and collectively to maintain health and seek help when
needed”.

4. Information:
Inform target groups about the cause of disease its
transmission and how to prevent the disease.
(Collection of known facts)
Education:
Educate the target groups about techniques of disease
prevention and mode of transmission.
(Formal training by specialists)
Communication:
A process that informs, motivates and helps people to adopt
and maintain healthy practices by using techniques to spread
the knowledge on the disease prevention and health
promotion.
(Two way process of exchanging or shaping ideas, feelings, and information)

5. Health Education given to waste handlers of BPKIHS by Prof. Paras about waste management.

8. Objectives of Health Education
oInforming people: The first directive of health
education is to inform people or disseminate
scientific knowledge about prevention of disease and
promotion of health.
oMotivating People: Simply informing people about
health is not enough. They must be motivated to
change their habits and ways of living, since many
present day problems of community health require
alteration of human behavior or changes in the health
practices which are detrimental to health.

9. •Guiding into action: Health education can
and should be conducted by a variety of
health, education and communication
personnel, in a variety of settings.
•People need to be encouraged to use
judiciously and wisely the health services
available.

10. IEC is a broad term comprising a range of
approaches, activities and outputs.
Although the most visible component of IEC is
frequently the material producer and user, such as
posters hanging on clinic walls,
Materials are only one component.
Effective IEC makes use of a full range of approaches
and activities.
The sole purpose of communication is to influence
others.

13. Approaches: Use of mass media to inform.
Activities: Include designing and providing training
in communication skills , carrying out research on
audiences (what information is needed in an effective way)
Objective:
To raise the health awareness of the people
To enable them to identify health issues, develop
positive attitude towards health care and increase
access to new information and technology of health
and health programs for the people

15. oGoal:
To raise health awareness of issues, which influence
peoples agendas, help them clarify their values and to
acquire knowledge, skills by means of changing
attitudes, beliefs, values, behavior, or norms within
individual or groups of individuals.
The goals may be achieved at different levels.
oCognitive level: in terms of increase in knowledge.
oAffective: In terms of changing existing patterns of
behavior and attitudes.
oPsychomotor: In terms of acquiring new skills.
o

16. Communication Process
Sender Message Channel Receiver
Feedback

17. o1. Sender (source): Communicator
o2. Receiver: (audience): Single person or group of people.
(Homogenous audience is better)
o3. Message (content): Meaningful, based on felt needs, clear
and understandable, specific and adequate, interesting,
culturally and socially appropriate.
o4. Channels(medium):
oInterpersonal communication
oMass Media
oTraditional or folk media
o5. Feedback (effect): Reaction of the audience to the message

18. Types of Communication
It can be vertical/horizontal and intra/inter communication.
oOne way communication:
Flow of communication in one way from the communicator to the
audience. e.g. lecture methods in class rooms.
oTwo way communication:
oIn which both the communicator and the audience take part.
Opinions, Views and Ideas are ventilated.
oVerbal communication:
Direct verbal communication by word of mouth. It may loaded
with hidden meanings.
oNon-verbal communication:
Communication can occur even without words. Body movements,
facial expressions, gestures, symbolic representation and silence .

19. oFormal and Informal Communication:
Formal follows lines of authority and Informal is like
grape vine. Informal includes Gossips, chatting.
Informal communication is more active and is present
in every institute.
oVisual communication:
Charts and graphs, pictograms, tables, maps, patterns.
oTelecommunication and Internet:
oRadio, TV and Internet are for mass communication.
Telephone, telex are point to point
telecommunication system. Point to point
communication is much closer to interpersonal
communication.

20. Barriers in Communication
o1. Physiological- Difficulties in hearing or expression.
o2. Psychological- Language, Emotional disturbances,
Neurosis and Comprehension difficulties.
o3. Environmental- Noise, Invisibility and Congestion.
o4. Cultural- Illiteracy, Level of Knowledge and
Understandings, Religion, Social class differences,
Language variations, Cultural differences between
foreigners and nationals.

21. Health Communication

22. The Role of IEC in HIV/AIDS
Prevention
oPostponement of first sexual encounter
oDecrease in multiple sex partner
oIncrease in condom use
oIncrease use of health services to treat STDs
oIncrease use of clean syringes by injecting Drug
Users etc.

23. Applications of IEC in Health and
Disease
Role of HEIC in National Health Programs
Being a major components of health promotion,
HEIC provide basis about health related issues
to the individuals and the community and help
them exercise responsible and voluntary
choices.

24. Process of Behavoural Change
Behavioral Change Model
Unaware
Aware
Concerned
Knowledgeable and Skilled
Motivator to Change
Ready to Change
Trial Change of Behavior
Adoption of New Behavior

25. Operational Studies and Impact of HEIC Program
oThe main sources of information about family planning
are radio, friends, and neighbors.
o80% of married women discuss their family size with
their spouse which is the result of IEC.
oIncreased ANC, delivery by trained health worker.

26. Mother Group

27. Adoption of New Ideas and Practices
oAwareness: The person has some very general
information about the idea and knows very little
about its usefulness, limitations, and applicability.
oInterest: At this stage person seeks more detailed
information.
oEvaluation: The person weighs the pros and cons of
the practice and evaluates its usefulness to oneself or
ones family.
oTrial: Practicing for the first time and needs
additional information help to overcome the problems
oAdoption: At this stage person decides that the new
practice is good and adopts it.

28. Health Education and Health Propaganda
oTo educate means to cause or facilitate
learning so health education is more than mere
information or propaganda.
oBehavior centered
oPropaganda means to spread particular
systemized doctrine.
oInformation centered

29. Thank You