General Concepts of Health Education

Vocabulary flashcards covering fundamental terms and definitions from the lecture on general concepts of health, health promotion, determinants, lifestyle, education for health, and nutrition education.

Health (WHO, Ottawa Charter, 1986)

A state of complete physical, mental and social well-being, not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.

Prerequisites for Health (Ottawa Charter)

Peace, shelter, adequate economic and food resources, a stable ecosystem and sustainable use of resources.

Dubos’ Definition of Health (1967)

The state of adaptation to the environment and the ability to function in the best possible conditions within that environment.

Milton Terris’ Definition of Health (1980)

Well-being with capacity to function physically, mentally and socially, not only the absence of disease.

Salleras Sanmartí’s Definition of Health (1990)

The highest level of physical, mental and social well-being and functioning attainable within the prevailing social conditions.

WHO Europe Definition of Health (1985)

The capacity to realize one’s personal potential and respond positively to environmental challenges.

PAHO View of Health

Good health is the best resource for personal, economic and social progress.

Determinants of Health

Personal, social, economic and environmental factors that influence healthy life expectancy.

Non-modifiable Determinants

Genetic load and hereditary factors that cannot be altered by individual or societal action.

Categories of Determinants (Lalonde Model)

Human biology, environment, lifestyle and healthcare system.

Social Determinants of Health (SDH)

Social, cultural, political, economic and environmental conditions in which people are born, grow, live, work and age.

Structural Determinants (SDH)

Macro-level factors such as governance, public policy, socioeconomic position, income, education, gender and race.

Intermediate Determinants (SDH)

Material circumstances, psychosocial factors, behaviours and biological factors shaped by structural determinants.

Health Promotion (WHO, 2021)

The process of enabling people to increase control over, and to improve, their health.

Key Strategies of Health Promotion

Advocate, enable/empower and mediate among sectors for well-being.

Priority Action Areas (Ottawa Charter)

Healthy public policy, supportive environments, community action, personal skills development and reoriented health services.

Lifestyle

A way of living based on identifiable behaviour patterns influenced by personal traits, social interaction and socioeconomic-environmental conditions.

Components Needed for a Healthy Lifestyle

Willingness (want), knowledge (know) and accessibility (can).

Education for Health

A set of learning experiences designed to help individuals and communities improve health by increasing knowledge, influencing motivation and enhancing health literacy.

Education for Health – Information Areas

Determinants of health, risk factors and appropriate use of the health system.

Education for Health – Support for Actions

Promoting participation in vaccination, treatment adherence and behaviour change.

Education for Health – Skill Development

Enabling autonomous decision-making and adaptation to change.

Food and Nutrition Education

Combined educational strategies and environmental supports that facilitate voluntary adoption of dietary choices leading to optimal health and well-being.

Phases of Food & Nutrition Education

1) Motivation; 2) Action; 3) Environment-dependent support.

Eating Behaviour

Conscious, collective and repetitive behaviours influencing food selection, consumption and utilization under social and cultural influences.

Eating Habits

A set of actions driven by biological, psychological and sociocultural motivations related to food ingestion (e.g., pleasure, socializing, anxiety control, hunger).