Download Health education & health education for food & nutrition honours level at semester system. and more Summaries Nutrition in PDF only on Docsity!
900 COMMUNICATION^ FOR^ HEALTH^ EDUCATION
PRACTICE OF HEALTH EDUCATION 1. Individual approach
There are plenty of^ opportunities^ for^
individual healu
education. It may be^ given^ in^
personal interviews^ in
consultation room^ of^ the^ doctor^
or in^ the health^ centre^ o
the homes^ of^ the^ people.^ The^
individual comes^ to^ the^ d
or health^
centre because^ of^ illness.^
Opportunity is^ takor
educating him^ on^ matters^
of interest-^ diet,^ causation^ an
nature of^ illness^ and^ its^ prevention,^ personal^
hygieno
environmental hygiene, etc.^ Topics^
for health^ counselli
Educational material should be designed to focus attention to provide new knowledge, to facilitate interpersonal and group discussion and to reinforce or
clarify prior knowledge and behaviour.
- Audio-visual aids No health education can be effective without audiovisual aids. They help to simplify unfamiliar concepts; bring about
understanding where words fail; reinforce learning by
appealing to more than one sense, and provide a dynamic way of avoiding monotony. Modern science has made available an endless array of audiovisual aids which can be classified into three groups (20):
may be^ selected^ according^
to the^ relevance^ of^ the^ situatioon.
By such^ individual^ health^ teaching,^
we (^) will be equippingtthe
individual and^ the^ family^ to^ deal^
more effectively with tho
health problems.
physician in^ this^ regard,^ is^ very^ great^ because^
he (^) has tha
confidence of^ the^ patient.^ The^ patient^ will^ listen^
more (^) readilu
to the^ physician's health^ counselling.^
A (^) hint from the (^) doctor
may have^ a^ more^ lasting^
effect than^ volumes of^ printed
word. The^ nursing staff^ have^ also^ ample^ oPportunities^ for
undertaking health^ education.^
Florence Nightingale said^ that the nurse^ can^ do^ more^ good^ in^ the^
home than in (^) the
hospital. Public^ health^ nurses,^ health visitors^
and (^) health
inspectors are^ visiting^ hundreds^ of^ homes,^ they^
have plenty
of opportunities for^ individual^ health^ teaching.^
In working
with (^) individuals, the^ health^ educator^ must^ first^ create^ an
atmosphere of^ friendship^ and^ allow^ the^
individual (^) to (^) talk as
much as possible. The^ biggest^ advantage^ of^ individual
health teaching is that we can discuss, argue and persuade the individual to change his behaviour. It provides opportunities to^ ask^ questions in^ terms^ of^ specific^ interests. The limitation of individual health teaching is that the numbers we reach are small, and health education is given only to^ those^ who^ come^ in^ contact^ with^ us.
The responsibility of^ the^ attendine
(1) AUDITORY AIDSS
Radio, tape-recorder, microphones, amplifiers, earphones.
(2) VISUAL AIDS
(a) Not requiring projection: Chalk-board, leaflets,
posters, charts, flannelgraph, exhibits, models,
specimens, etc.
(b) Requiring projection: Slides, film strips.
(3) COMBINED A-V AIDS Television, sound films (^) (Cinema), slide-tape combination. A knowledge of the advantages, disadvantages and limitations of each audio-visual aid is necessary in order to make proper use of them. Audio-visual aids are means to an end, not an end in themselves.
2. Methods in health communication
2. Group approach
The methods in health communication may be grouped as in Fig. 3.
Our society contains groups of many kinds - school children, mothers, industrial workers, patients, etc. Group teaching is an effective way of educating the community. The choice of subject in group health teaching is very important; it must relate directly to the interest of the group. For example, we should not broach the subjectof
tuberculosis control to a mother who has come for delivery
we should talk to her about child-birth and baby care.
A rundown of the assets of mass media and personal communication methods is as shown in Table 2. Any one or a combination of these methods can be used selectively at different times, depending upon the objectives to be achieved, the behaviour to be influenced and available funds.
Health Communication
Individual Group
approach approach^ Mass approach
- Personal contact 1.^ Lectures^ 1. Television (^2) Home visits 2.^ Demonstrations^2 Radio
- Personal Letters 3.^ Discussion methods^ 3. (^) News paper
4 Printed material
Direct mailing
Group discussion Panel discussion (^) 5.
Symposium 6. Posters
Workshop
Conferences 7.^ Health^ museums and exhibitions Seminars Role play 8 Folk^ methods
- Internet
FIG. Methods in health communication
PRACTICE OF HEALTH EDUCATION (^901)
ArundOwn TABLE^2
of (^) assets (^) of (^) mass media and Mass Media^ personal^ communicatou (TV, radio, newspaper) (^) Personal communication
- (^) Reaches the (^) widest
population
(Interpersonal and group methods) Capitalizes on warmth and understanding and knowledge of communication
- Provides the opportunity for involvement, for asking questions, expressing tears, and learning more
- Gets public^ attention
Gives (^) greater (^) support for programmes such as thoseconcentrated for a week or month
Can get people to make changes in personal habits more readily, when discussion presents reasonable explanations for these changes.
- More influential with average and below average educational level.
More effective among t
educational level
- (^) ose with above average
Similarly, school^ children may be (^) taught about oral tuberculosis hygiene; patients about^ tuberculosis; and (^) industrial uOrkers about^ accidents.^ We (^) have (^) to (^) select also (^) the method of^ health^ suitable education including (^) audio-visual (^) aids for SuCcessful group^ health^ education. A (^) brief (^) account of (^) the methods of group teaching is given below
thinking or^ problem-solving^ capacity;^ the^ comprehension^
of
a lecture^ varies^ with^ the^ student;^ and^ the^ health^ behaviour
of the listeners is not necessarily affected.
(2) Demonstrations
A demonstration^ is^ a^ carefully prepared^ presentation^ to
show how to perform a skill or procedure. Here a procedure
(e.g. lumber^ puncture,^ disinfection^ of^ a^ well)^ is^
carried out
step by step before^ an^ audience^ or^ the^ target^ group,^
the demonstrato
(1) Chalk and talk (Lecture)
A lecture may be defined as carefully prepared oral
presentation of facts, organized thoughts and ideas by a qualified person. The "chalk" lends the visual component. The chalk and talk communication has still a very important place in small group education. Its effectiveness depends to a large extent on the speaker's ability to write legibly and to
draw with chalk on a black board. The talk should be based
on a topic of current interest or health needs of the group. The (^) group should^ not^ be^ more^ than^30 and^ the^ talk^ shoulo not exceed 15 to 20 minutes. If the talk is too long people may become^ bored^ and^ restless.
ascertaining that^ the^ audience^ understands how to^ perform it.^ The^ demonstrator^ involves^ the^ audience in discussion.
Demonstration (a) dramatizes^ by arousing^ interest
(b)persuades the onlookers to adopt recommended
practices (c) upholds^ the^ principles^ of^ "seeing^ is^ believing"
and "learning by doing", and^ (d) can^ bring^ desirable
changes in^ the^ behaviour^ pertaining^ to^ the^
use of neww practice. Demonstration as^ a^ means^ of^ communication^ has^ been
found to have a^ high educational^ value^ in^ programmes^ like
environmental sanitation (e.g., installation of a hand-pump,
construction of a sanitary latrine); mother^ and^ child^ health
(e.g. demonstration^ of^ oral^ rehydration^ technique)^ and
control of diseases^ (e.g., scabies).^ The^ clinical^ teaching^ in
hospitals is^ based^ on^ demonstrations.^ This^ method^ has^ a
high motivational value.
The lecture^ method^ can^ be^ made^ more^ effective by combining^ with^
suitable audio-visual^ aids^ such^ as a) Flipcharts^ : They^ consist^ of^ a^
series of charts^ (or posters),
about 25 by 30 cms^ or^ more,^ each^ with^ an^
illustration
pertaining to^ the^ talk^ to^ be^ given.^ They^
are meant^ to^ be
shown one after^ another.^ Each^
chart is "flashed"^ or
displayed before^ a^ group^ as^
the talk^ is^ being^ given.^ The
message on^ the^ charts^
must be^ brief^ and^ to^ the^ point.^
These
Charts are (^) primarily designed^ to^ hold^
attention of^ the^ group
ànd help^ the^ lecture^
to proceed. (b)^ Flannelgraph:^ A^ piece
of rough flannel^ or^ khadi^ fixed^
over a wooden^ board
provides an^ excellent^
background for^ displaying^
cut-out
plctures, graphs,^ drawings^
and other^ illustrations.^
The cut-
Out pictures^ and^
other illustrations^ are^ provided^
with a^ rough
Surface at^ the^ back^ by^
pasting pieces^ of^
sand paper, felt^ or
ough cloth^ and^ they^
adhere at^ once^ when^ put^
on (^) the
iannel. Flannelgraph offers^ the^
advantage that^ pre-arranged
Euence of^ pictures^
displayed one^
after another^ helps
ain continuity^
and adds^ much^ to^
the presentation.^
The
oner advantages^
are that^ the^ flannelgraph^
is (^) a very cheap
m, easy^ to^
transport and^
promotes thought^
and
CIsm (c)^ Exhibits^
Objects, models,^
specimens, etc.
ey a^ specific^
message to^ the^
viewer. They^ are^ essentially
Cr nedia^
of communication,
which can^ also^ be^
used in
eaching. (d)^ Films^ and^
charts
These are^ mass^
media
ommunication. If^ used^
with discrimination,^
they can^ be
OTvalue in educating small^ groups.
(3) Group discussion
A "group" is^ an^ "aggregation^ of^ people^ interacting^ in^ a
face-to-face situation".^ This^ contrasts^ sharply^ to^ the^ group^ of
students in^ a^ class^ room^ situation.^ Group^ discussion^ is
considered a very effective^ methood^ of^ health communication. It permits the individuals to learn by freely
exchanging their^ knowledge,^ ideas^ and^ opinions.^ Group
discussion provides a^ wider^ interaction^ among^ members
than is^ possible^ with^ other^ methods.^
Where long term
compliance is^ involved^ (e.g.,^ cessation^ of^ smoking, obesity
reduction) group^ discussion^ is^ considered^
valuable.
For effective^ group^ discussion,^ the^ group^
should (^) comprise
not less^ than^6 and^ not^ more^
than 12 members.^ The
participants are^ all^ seated^ in^
a circle, so^ that^ each^ is^ fully
visible to^ all^ the^ others^ (Fig. 4).^
There should^ be^ a^ group leader who^ initiates^ the^ subject,^ helps^
the discussion^ in^ the
proper manner,^ prevents^
side-conversations, encourages everyone to^ participate^
and sums^ up the^ discussion^ in^ the end. If^ the^ discussion^ goes^ well,^
the (^) grouP may arrive^ at decisions which^ no^ individual^
member would^ have^ been
able to^ make^ alone.^
It is also desirable^ to^ have^ a^ person^ to Lectures can^ be^
faulted on^ a^
number of^ grounds.^ Their
antages include^
the following:^
students are^ involved
nmum extent;^ learning^
is passive;^ do^ not^
stimulate
a (^) Mass approach - Education
of the
general
PRACTICE OF HEALTH EDUCATION 903 public No (^) health worker (^) or health (^) team (^) can alth (^) education (^) programme mount (^) an (^) effective for (^) the whole (^) community,
and other health agencies is available on line. The Health
related information from the ministry of health and family health welfare Govt. of India, is also available on their website.
except (^) through mas (^) media
of
the (^) media (^) has (^) been communication.. (^) The rapid. (^) Uptill the (^) early
olution of 4.^ Newspapers
1920s, mass^ communication depended (^) largely on (^) what orinted (^) posters, (^) pamphlets, was
newspapers. (^) hen came (^) the books,^ periodicals and radio (^) and (^) with (^) it dimension or^ experlence. (^) TV (^) went a^ new a (^) gigantic nd (^) has (^) become a (^) very (^) powertul step further
nrimarily to^ the^ eye, weapon.^ The^ press caters the radio^ appeals to (^) the hath (^) eye and ear. (^) A (^) final (^) word ear, and (^) TV to
about radio and TV -
eome close to (^) the (^) warmth (^) and they
nerson-to-person motivational^ effect^ of^ a communication. (^) They have of the tabric^ of^ modern (^) civilization. become (^) part
Mass media are a
"one-way" (^) communication. useful in^ transmitting They^ are meSsages to^ people even (^) in (^) the remotest (^) places. The (^) number (^) of usually count^ in^ people^ who^ are^ reached
millions. Their effectiveness
returns for^ the^ time^ and can^ give^ high
money involved.
Mass media alone (^) are generally (^) inadequate in (^) changing human behaviour. For (^) etfective health should be^ used^ in^ communication,^ they combination (^) with (^) other (^) methods. (^) The
power of^ mass^ media^ in^ creating a political will in favour of
health, raising the health consciousness of the
norms, people,^ setting
delivering technical^ messages, popularising health
knowledge and^ tostering community involvement are well
recognized (6). Public health methodologies should be
culturally appropriate; they should be carefully thought-out
before use. A brief account of the mass media is given below
Newspapers are the most widely disseminated of all forms
of literature. News must be newsworthy before it is printed. Whereas many people turn to radio or TV for entertainment,
newspaper readers are
Newspapers should, therefore provide more factual, detailed
and even statistical material (7). Unfortunately, health
problems have little of value to newspapers. Newspapers
have limitation^ of^ having^ low^ readership^ in^ rural^ areas because of^ illiteracy. They^ reach^ only^ a^ limited^ group,^ i.e. the literates in the community.
often seeking newspapers.
- Printed material
Magazines, pamphlets, booklets and hand-outs have long
been in use for health communication. They are aimed at
those who can read. Their usefulness lies in the fact that they
can convey detailed information. They can be produced in
bulk for very little cost, and can be shared by others in the
family and community.
6. Direct mailing
This is a new innovation in health communication in India. The intention is to reach the remote areas of the country with printed word (e.g., folders and newsletters and booklets on family planning, immunization and nutrition etc.). These are sent directly to village leaders, literate persons, panchayats and local bodies and others who are considered as opinion
leaders. Direct mailing has been a successful mass media in
- Television creating^ public^ awareness.^ It is^ possibly^ the^ most^ personal^ of mass communication.
Television has become the most popular of all media. It is
effective in not only creating awareness, but also to an
extent influencing public opinion and introducing new ways of (^) life. It (^) is (^) raising levels of (^) understanding and (^) helping
people familiarise with things they have not seen before,
including crime^ and^ violence^ which^ are^ shown^ as^ part^ of feature programmes. TV is a one-way channel. It can only be an aid to teaching. It cannot cover all areas of learning. lt has much potential for health communication.
7. Posters, billboards and signs
These are intended to catch the eye and create awareness.
Therefore, the message to be communicated must be simple,
and artistic.^ Posters are^ not^ expensive^ when^ one^ considers they are seen by a large number of people. Motives such as humour and fear are introduced into posters in order to hold the attention of the^ public. In^ places^ where the^ exposure^ time is short (e.g., streets), the message of the poster should be
short, simple, direct and one that can be taken at a glance
and easy to understand immediately. In places where people
have some time to spend (e.g., bus stops, railway stations,
hospitals, health centres) the poster can present more
information. The right amount of matter should be put up in
the right place and at the right time. That is, when there is an
epidemic of viral hepatitis, there should be posters displayed
on viral jaundice, but not on cholera. The life of a poster is usually short; posters should be changed frequently, otherwise they will lose their effect. As a media of health
education, posters have much less effect in changing
behaviour than its enthusiastic users
- Radio
Radio is found nearly in every home. In many developing
countries the^ radio^ has^ a^
broader audience^ than^ TV.^ Both
radio and^ TV^ can^ reach^ illiterate^ population^
not accessible
through printed^ word.^ It is^
a (^) purely didactic^ medium.^ It^ can
De valuable^ aid^ in^ putting^
across" useful^ health
information, in^ the^ form^ of^ straight talks, plays,
questions
ana answers^ and^ quiz^ programmes.^
Radio is^ much^ cheaper
tnan TV. Doctors and health^ workers^ may^ speak^
out on
radio. Local^ health^ issues^ may^
be identified^ and^ discussed
eading to^ increased^ general^ awareness.^
would hope. Indiscriminate use ot posters by pasting them on walls serves no other useful purpose than covering the wall.
- Internet
his new^ means^ of^
computer based^
communication
ylem has^ opened^ vast^
capability of^ transter^
of knowledge,
has made^ it^ possible^
to get into^ direct^
and instant
Inmunication across^ the^ world^ by^
means of^ e-mail^ and^ even
-ine chat.^ This^ is^ a^
fast growing
communication (^) media
holds very^ large potential^
to become^ a^ major^
health
Cation tool.^ Already^
a fairly large^
number of persons^ in
a are^ using^ this^
media, and^ the^
numbers are^ growing
yday. Vast^ amount^ of^
health related^ literature^ from^
WHO
8. Health museums and exhibitions
If properly organized, health museums and exhibitions
can attract large numbers of people. By presenting a variety of ideas, they do increase knowledge and awareness Photographic panels attract more persons than graphic panels. This is because photos give a humanized touch to the communication. The three dimensional models with lighted visuals are even more effective than photos.
COMMUNICATION FOR HEALTH EDUCATION
In exhibitions, there is a big element of personal
communication through workers who explain each item on
the exhibit. Printed literature explaining the exhibits is often
freely distributed. Health exhibitions and museums thus
offer a package of both personal and impersonal methods of
Communication.
9. Folk media
TheThe^ term^ "mass^ communication"^ ought^ to^ refer^ to^ the
totality of communication which takes within its compass not
only the electronic media, but also folk (or indigenous)
media such as keerthan, katha, folk Songs, dances and
dramas and puppet shows which have roots in our culture.
The muslims have their own traditional folk forum like the
ghazals, the kawali.
the
The mass media are only "instruments". As such they are
neither good nor bad; what matters is the message
they
carry and the way the message is delivered (6). There is no
single way to do public education. Health education is still
rather than a science. Each community and country
should develop techniques that meet its own needs.
art
