module 6, health education, pop health

Healthy People Initiatives

To increase quality and years of healthy life

To eliminate any barriers to accessing care, specifically through health disparities

Health Education

“Any combination of planned learning experiences using evidence-based practices and/or sound theories that provide the opportunity to acquire knowledge, attitudes, and skills need to adopt and maintain health behaviors”

Behavioral learning theory

reinforcement methods to change behaviors

Cognitive learning theory

use of sensory input and repetition to change patterns of thought and behaviors

Critical learning theory 

discussion and inquiry to increase knowledge

Humanistic

emphasize emotions and relationships, believe that free choice will prompt actions that are in the learner's best interest

Social learning theory

links information to beliefs and values to change or shift the learners' expectations

Theories of Social Support

Family members, friends, neighbors, and adjacent communities influencing change by offering instrumental assistance, informational support, emotional support, and/or appraising support.

Social Learning

 A behavior change model that considers environmental influences, personal factors, and behavior as key components of change

social learning example

 Ex: A group of newly hired nurses observes a senior nurse consistently using proper hand hygiene before and after every patient interaction. Over time, the new nurses begin to model this behavior, not only because they were taught the policy, but because they observe, internalize, and imitate the respected role model’s actions.

Ecologic Model
(Social Ecological Model)

 health behaviors and outcomes are shaped by multiple layers of influence, not just individual choice.

Health education enables people to:

•Prevent health problems

•Attain optimal health

•Minimize disability

•Make knowledgeable health decisions

•Assume personal responsibility for health

•Self-manage and self-care

Health Belief Model

Developed in the 1950s after the development of the polio vaccine

Vaccinate or not

What factors influence preventive health behaviors?

4 major determinants

Transtheoretical Model (TTM)

•Behavior is changed over time

•Progress thru a sequence of stages

•May return to a previous stage

•Change is difficult

Developing and Delivering Health Education

Identify a population-specific learning need

Consider how people learn

Examine educational issues

Design and Implement program

Evaluate the outcome of program

Health Promotion Activities

•Smoking cessation, smoking (vaping) avoidance

•Avoiding illegal drug use

•Depending on age, alcohol avoidance or moderation

•Well-balanced diet

•Routine exercise

•Responsible sexual choices

Community-Based Education

•Schools

•Worksites

•Healthcare Agencies

•Faith Institutions

•Community Settings

Barriers to Education

•Educator Related

•Learner Related

•Information Source

visual learner

learn through seeing (note taking, videos, presentations)

auditory learner

learn through listening (lecture, reading, discussion)

Tactile-kinesthetic learner

learn through doing (demonstration, clinical/lab)

Learning Domains

•Psychomotor Domain

•Cognitive Domain

•Affective Domain

Psychomotor

 Performance of skills that require a degree of neuromuscular coordination

◦show learners the skill in person, with pictures or on a video; allow practice and immediately correct any errors in performing the skill

◦Teach back, show back

Cognitive learning domain

 Memory, recognition, understanding, reasoning, application and problem solving

◦learners must master each level of cognition in order of difficulty

◦learner must first be assessed so that expectations and plans are directed toward correct level

◦teach back

 Cognitive: teach it back

affective learning domain

•Attitude changes & development of values

•Nurses consider & attempt to influence what individuals, families etc. feel, think & value

◦must listen carefully to detect clues to feeling that may influence learning.

Example: Alc anonomous, pick up on attitudes

Developmental Considerations: School-aged Children

•Use concrete explanations — avoid abstract concepts; demonstrate procedures with models or simple language.

•Encourage participation — allow the child to handle equipment (e.g., stethoscope) and practice skills under supervision to build mastery.

•Involve parents but address the child directly — this builds trust and fosters independence while keeping family engaged.

•NCLEX Tip: Think about industry vs. inferiority (Erikson). These children want to achieve and feel competent.

Developmental Considerations: Adolescents

Provide honest, detailed explanations — adolescents value autonomy and are quick to detect inconsistency; promote informed decision-making.

Respect privacy and confidentiality — especially around sensitive topics (sexual health, mental health).

Encourage active involvement in care — allow choices when appropriate (scheduling procedures, treatment options).

NCLEX Tip: Developmental stage is identity vs. role confusion. Focus on trust, autonomy, and respecting emerging independence.

Developmental Considerations: Adults

•Make education relevant to their life roles and responsibilities — emphasize how interventions fit into work, family, and health goals.

•Be time-efficient and practical — adults are self-directed learners but often have limited time; highlight key points and offer take-home materials.

•Encourage problem-solving and self-management — integrate prior knowledge and experiences into teaching sessions.

•NCLEX Tip: Adults learn best when the content is goal-oriented, practical, and collaborative. Reinforce self-efficacy and shared decision-making.

Developmental Considerations: Older Adults

Allow extra time and present information slowly — accommodate potential sensory or cognitive changes (hearing loss, slower processing).

Use large print, clear visuals, and simple language — minimize jargon, break information into manageable segments.

Assess baseline function and adapt teaching — account for sensory deficits, literacy levels, memory changes, and energy levels; repeat key information and use teach-back.

NCLEX Tip: Focus on respect, pacing, repetition, and assessing physical/cognitive abilities before teaching. Always use multiple reinforcement methods.

Community Health Program Planning, Development, and Management

•Preplanning

•Assessment

•Diagnosis

•Planning

•Implementation

•Evaluation

Pre-planning

 Brainstorm ideas.

◦Gain entry into the community and establish trust

◦Grassroots vs top-down

◦Gatekeepers

◦Obtain community awareness, support, and involvement

◦Coordinate and collaborate

Assessment

 Collect data about the community

◦Complete a needs assessment- what are the community’s strengths and weaknesses?

◦Identify community resources

◦Funding sources?

◦Secondary health data

Diagnosis

 Analyze data to determine priority health needs

◦Work with community members and local health care professionals/organizations to develop priorities and outcomes

◦Consider

◦Community awareness of the problem

◦Community readiness to address the problem

◦Expertise and fiscal resources

◦Severity of problem

◦Time needed

Planning

 Develop interventions

◦Possible solutions to the problem

◦Compare resources and interventions for each option

◦Establish goals and objectives

◦Objectives are behaviorally stated, measurable, and include a target date

◦Goals are broader– objectives should be geared towards meeting goals

◦Strategies/interventions to meet objectives

◦Responsibility, fiscal considerations, needed resources

◦Plan program evaluation

Implementation

 Carry out the plan.

◦Initiate interventions

◦Monitor intervention process and response of the community

◦Formative evaluation

Evaluation

 Evaluate the success of the interventions

◦Strengths and weaknesses

◦Did we meet outcomes?

◦Recommend and implement modifications

◦Share findings with community and stakeholders

◦Ongoing evaluation for sustainability

◦Summative evaluation

health literacy

•Low health literacy can amplify existing health inequities

•Multiple studies have shown that individuals with limited health literacy have shorter life expectancy compared to those with adequate literacy.

•People with lower health literacy often have difficulty with:

Ønavigating the healthcare system

Øunderstanding medical instructions

Ømanaging chronic diseases

•This can lead to

• delayed diagnoses

• poorer treatment adherence

• higher rates of preventable complications

•Information-literate

•Able to find, evaluate, and use information effectively.

•Communication-literate

•Speaks, writes, and listens clearly across contexts.

•Analytically literate

•Thinks critically; can interpret data and solve problems.

•Visually literate

•Can interpret and create meaningful visual materials.

•Computationally literate

•Understands and applies quantitative or data methods.

•Computer-literate

•Comfortable using digital tools, software, and technology.