DENTAL HEALTH

EDUCATION

INTRODUCTION
Definition: Health Education is defined as any educational
activity which aims to achieve a health related goal.
The most accepted definition by National Conference on
preventive medicine (1977) is Health education is a process
that informs, motivates and help people to adopt and maintain
healthy practices and lifestyles, advocates environmental
changes as needed to facilitate this goal and conducts
professional training and research to the same end

OBJECTIVES OF HEALTH EDUCAITON

1.

2.

According to the above definition the three main objectives of

health education are:
Informing People: The primary objective is to inform people
or provide them with scientific knowledge about the
prevention of disease and promotion of health.
This creates an awareness of health needs and helps people
to be away from misconception and ignorance about health
and disease.
Motivating People: People must be motivated to change
their habits and way of living.
As many health problems today are directly associated with
habits and life styles. Ex. Smoking, sedentary life style.

OBJECTIVES OF HEALTH
EDUCAITON
3. Guiding into action: The people should be encouraged to use
judiciously and wisely the health services available to them.
They need to adopt and practice healthy life styles which
might be new to them.
There are three main domains of learning:
1.
Cognitive: Understanding the factual knowledge. Ex.
Knowledge of tobacco chewing can cause oral cancer.
2.
Affective: Feelings, emotions and beliefs associated with
health. Ex. Deciduous teeth are not important.
3.
Behavioral: Skill development. Ex. Skills required for
brushing and flossing

CONTENTS OF HEALTH
EDUCAITON

Human Biology
Human biology is a part of basic curriculum in the schools
like teaching body parts and their functions.
Physical fitness, exercise, good hygiene, good diet, rest and
sleep are also taught.
Ill effects of alcohol and smoking are included.
Nutrition
The main aim of educating the people about nutrition is
about optimum and balanced diet.
Education is also given about the preparation, serving and
storage of food.
*WHO expert committee mentions that education in
nutrition is a major strategic method for the prevention of
malnutrition

CONTENTS OF HEALTH
EDUCAITON

Hygiene
Health education includes the importance of hygiene and its
maintenance.
Personal Hygiene: Education to maintain good hygiene is
given on individual basis. Ex. Bathing, washing hands,
brushing
Environmental Hygiene: 1. Domestic hygiene which includes
general hygiene at home, disposal of waste.
2. Community hygiene which hygiene of surroundings, proper
collection and disposal of garbage.
Family Health Care
The aim of health education is to strengthen and improve the
quality of life of the whole family.
Focus currently is on child and mother health, vaccination..

CONTENTS OF HEALTH
EDUCAITON

Control of Communicable and Non-communicable Diseases

Education regarding the nature of the diseases like TB,
leprosy, malnutrition, dental diseases.
People are educated to prevent the occurrence of such diseases
and to also participate actively in health promotion programs.
Mental Health
The present day life style and culture has shown increase in
diseases related to mental health like depression, neurosis.
The aim of education to keep people mentally healthy.

CONTENTS OF HEALTH
EDUCAITON
Prevention of Accidents:
Modernization is the major factor for the accidents on roads,
work place.
Health Education is directed towards safety measures to
prevent accidents.
Use of Health Services
Individuals should be educated about the health services that
are available.
They should be motivated to use the services and actively
participate in the health promotion programs.

PRINCIPLES OF HEALTH
EDUCAITON
There are ten principles of health education based on principles of
learning:
1.
Interest

Health education should be related to the interest of the people.

Health education should be based on the felt needs of the people.
2.
Participation

People should be motivated to be part of health education

programs.

Group discussion, work shops, panel discussion are the methods of

active learning.
3.
Comprehension

It means capacity of understanding. Educator must know the

knowledge of people to educate them.

Scientific and new or strange words which are difficult to

understand must be avoided.

PRINCIPLES OF HEALTH
EDUCAITON
4.

5.

6.

Known to Unknown
The educator must try to find out the existing knowledge of the
people and health program should be based on their knowledge.
This would be slow process.
Reinforcement
Remembering and learning new aspects in a single health program
is not possible, this requires repetition,
Constant reinforcement leaves a permanent impression on mind to
understand and accept new principles.
Learning by Doing
Hearing and seeing does not make a good user, it is best done by
doing the aspects taught or learned

PRINCIPLES OF HEALTH
EDUCAITON
7.

8.

9.

Motivation
Initiation of desire is called motivation.
Primary motivation: There are inborn desires which initiate people
to take action. Ex. Hunger.
Secondary motivation: These are desires caused by external desires
or motivations. Ex. Praise, rewards.
Good Human Relations
To be a good educator it is necessary to maintain good relations
with the people, educator should have good personal qualities.
Soil, Seed and Sower
Soil: Refers to people to whom education must be given.
Seed: Health facts that are given to the people.
Sower: Refers to the transmitting media.

PRINCIPLES OF HEALTH
EDUCAITON
10.

Social Leaders
Community leaders are important medium for health education.
They are referred to as Peer Leaders

MODELS OF HEALTH EDUCATION

Medical Model
This model is based on fact and expert knowledge given in
didactic fashion (one way lecture)
This model uses medical profession as a transmitting media and the
recipients of knowledge are passive and are expected to conform to
norm of absorbing message.
The commonly used methods are lectures, film shows, posters to
create awareness.
This model is criticized by people giving reasons that it induces
dependency on medical profession and thereby reducing self
reliance of the individuals.

MODELS OF HEALTH EDUCATION

Education Model
This model aims to provide access to learning and to guide learning
in a way which promotes understanding and develops power of
reasoning.
The philosophy of this model is that education should facilitate
decision making, leaving people free to select the available options.
The method used is discussion, debates. The advantage lies in the
large varities of methods available.
Knowledge and skills are easily transferred amongst peers and are
valued by the wider society.
This model is criticized by idealism. It is unrealistic that learner can
understand all the knowledge provided.
Another disadvantage that the it gives access to knowledge to an
individual or group who can develop attitudes as a result of the
knowledge.

MODELS OF HEALTH EDUCATION

Self- Empowerment Model
The other names for this model are The Pastrol Model, The Selfesteem Model and The Individual Model.
The basis of this model depends in the concept that action depends
on the picture individuals have of themselves and how they feel
about themselves.
This model revolves around promoting an awareness of the self. The
concept is of self-empowerment.
Personal involvement and participation is maximized making
learning more enjoyable and more permanent.
The model is based on actual experiences.
The element missing from this model is that of environmental
influences.

MODELS OF HEALTH EDUCATION

Radical Model
This model works to enable people to cooperate and work in
group to solve the problems by critical social analysis.
There is no teacher or educator only an organizer who
conducts community programs.
The residents analyze social situations, work together to force
a change which will improve chances of making healthy
choices.
It is based on relevant issues and mobilizes all sections of a
society.

MODELS OF HEALTH EDUCATION

Health Belief Model and Health Action Model
The decisions to undertake health actions rely on individuals'
perception of their susceptibility and the pyscholological costs of
taking certain action.
In order to take recommended health actions, a person must satisfy
certain factors:
Knowledge: They must know about the action.
Perceived Susceptibility: They must think that they are likely to or
suffer from this condition.
Potential severity of the condition: The suffering from the condition
is significant.
Prevention works: They must believe that the action taken will
prevent the condition from occurring.