Health Promotion Officer (Community Health Worker) Curriculum Overview

OCCUPATIONAL CERTIFICATE: HEALTH PROMOTION OFFICER (COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKER) NQF LEVEL 03

  • Credits: 163

  • Curriculum Code: 325301-001

  • Curriculum Title: Occupational Certificate: Health Promotion Officer (Community Health Worker)

  • Curriculum Module Number: 325301-001-KS-03

  • Curriculum Module Title: Basics of Community Health

  • Topic Number: 325301-001-KS-03:04

  • Topic Title: Principles of Health Promotion (Intermediate)

  • Weight: 20%

  • Credits for Module: 1

LEARNING GUIDE

  • Curriculum Module Title: Basics of Community Health

  • Topic Number: 325301-001-KS-03:04

  • Topic Title: Principles of Health Promotion

LEARNING MAP

  1. TOPIC ELEMENT 1: Health promotion (five principles of Ottawa) and the roles of various players in the health promotion process

    • 1.1 Why we need to engage in health promotion

  2. TOPIC ELEMENT 2: Methods of promoting health and providing health education

    • 2.1 Information, Education and communication (IEC)

    • 2.2 The role of media in health promotion

    • 2.3 Different types of media that can be used

  3. TOPIC ELEMENT 3: Communication processes in health promotion

    • 3.1 Different types of communication (one-on-one, groups, mass mobilisation)

LEARNING OUTCOMES

At the end of this Topic, learners should be able to:

  • Explain health promotion

  • Identify and explain methods of promoting health

  • Provide health education

  • Describe communication processes in health promotion

KEY CONCEPTS

  • Advocacy: Public support for or recommendation of a particular cause or policy.

  • Fiscal: Pertains to government revenue, usually from taxes.

  • Health Promotion: The process of enabling people to increase control over and improve their health.

  • Health Education: Mechanism through which health promotion is propagated.

  • Health Literacy: Measure of an individual's capacity to obtain, process, and understand basic health information and services necessary for making appropriate health decisions.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

  1. INTRODUCTION

    • 1.1 Health Promotion

    • 1.2 The Five Pillars for Consideration in Health Promotion

      • 1.2.1 The role of various players in the health promotion process

      • 1.2.2 The basic strategies for health promotion

    • 1.3 Why We Need to Engage in Health Promotion

      • 1.3.1 Implementation of Health Promotion

  2. Various Methods of Promoting Health and Providing Health Education

    • 2.1 Information, Education and Communication (IEC)

    • 2.2 The Role of Media in Health Promotion

    • 2.3 Different Types of Media Used

  3. Communication Processes Utilised in Health Promotion

    • 3.1 Different Types of Communication

    • 3.2 Factors Influencing Communication

    • 3.3 Factors for Effective Communication

  4. REFERENCES

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Health Promotion

  • In 1986, the WHO and Canada hosted the first international conference on health promotion in Ottawa, producing the Ottawa Charter for action.

  • Definition of Health Promotion: According to WHO, it is a process enabling people to gain control over their health and its determinants including social, psychological, economic, political, cultural, and environmental aspects.

  • It includes a wide range of social and environmental interventions designed to improve health quality of life by addressing root causes of ill health in communities.

  • Health promotion involves all sectors including government, NGOs, and communities working collaboratively.

1.2 The Five Pillars for Consideration in Health Promotion

  • The Ottawa Charter identifies important areas for consideration in health promotion which include the following:

    1. Building Healthy Public Policy

      • Focus on promoting health across all government sectors through legislation, economics, and changes in service provision (e.g., environmental health).

    2. Creating Supportive Environments

      • Protect and maintain natural and built environments, supporting healthy lifestyles.

    3. Developing Personal Skills

      • Provision of information and skills to help individuals cope with health issues.

    4. Strengthening Community Action

      • Empower communities to prioritize and plan their health actions through education and information provision.

    5. Reorienting Health Care Services

      • Focus on prevention and promotion rather than only treatment, connecting services with social, political, and economic environments.

1.2.1 The Role of Various Players in the Health Promotion Process

  • Public Engagement: Requires participation from the population at large, not just those at risk.

  • Government: Ensures positive health outcomes through timely actions at local and national levels.

  • Health Professionals: Play advocacy roles including Community Health Workers (CHWs).

1.2.2 The Basic Strategies for Health Promotion

  1. Advocacy: Encourages health as a resource for social and developmental purposes, striving for health-oriented changes.

  2. Enable: Aims for health equity, empowering individuals to control health determinants.

  3. Mediation: Collaboration across various sectors is essential for successful health promotion.

1.3 Why We Need to Engage in Health Promotion

  • To positively influence health behaviors, living conditions, and improve health outcomes.

  • To address the root causes of illness and empower communities for active participation.

  • To enhance health statuses across all demographics.

1.3.1 Implementation of Health Promotion

a) Health Promotion for a Healthy Population

  • Promote healthy lifestyles, prevent risk factors, and promote health education.

  • Key Messages:

    • Regular physical activity.

    • Balanced diet.

    • Moderate or no alcohol consumption.

    • Avoid smoking.

b) Health Promotion for Populations at Risk

  • Focus on screening, maintaining healthy habits, and educating on prevention of both communicable and non-communicable diseases.

c) Health Promotion for Populations with Symptoms

  • Early detection, treatment, and rehabilitation to maintain health and prevent escalation of disorders.

d) Health Promotion for Populations with Known Disorders

  • Support for treatment adherence, care, and rehabilitation.

2. VARIOUS METHODS OF PROMOTING HEALTH AND PROVIDING HEALTH EDUCATION (NQF LEVEL 3)

  • Methods include: Advocacy, Health Education, Communication for Behavior Change, Social Marketing, and Legislation.

  • Health education provides information to motivate behavior change and enhance health knowledge.

  • Effective health education requires understanding community needs and engaging the target population actively.

2.1 Information, Education and Communication (IEC)

  • IEC conveys health topics and builds capacity for behavior change, utilizing methods like seminars, workshops, and outreach programs.

2.2 The Role of Media in Health Promotion

  • Media informs and persuades populations through healthy behavior promotion and raising disease awareness.

  • Advantages of Media:

    • Cost-effective and broad reach.

    • Provides records for future reference and ensures message repetition.

  • Disadvantages of Media:

    • Often unverified sources.

    • Potentially inaccessible information due to timing and format.

Health Messages by WHO: 12 Tips for Staying Healthy

  • Outlined in the course material (refer to Figure 2).

2.3 Different Types of Media Used Include:

  1. Radio, especially local stations.

  2. Television.

  3. Print media: newspapers, posters, leaflets.

  4. Internet and social media.

  5. Mass media campaigns.

  6. Community rallies.

3. COMMUNICATION PROCESSES UTILIZED IN HEALTH PROMOTION (NQF LEVEL 3)

3.1 Different Types of Communication

  • Communication types include verbal (spoken) and non-verbal (written, gestures).

  • Verbal can be one-on-one or group interactions.

3.2 Factors Influencing Communication

  • Determined by topic, audience state, and language complexity.

3.3 Factors for Effective Communication

  • Physical factors (e.g., noise, room conditions) and psychological characteristics of the presenter impact communication effectiveness.

  • Cross-cultural factors and stereotypes must also be considered to ensure effective engagement.

3.4 The Role of the Community Health Worker (CHW) in Health Promotion

  • CHW Functions:

    1. Advocate for community representation.

    2. Facilitate community needs assessments and mapping.

    3. Present evidence-based information to policy-makers.

    4. Organize health promotion events and campaigns.

    5. Mediate health promotion messages across sectors.

  • Enable and empower communities through education to manage health determinants effectively.

INTERNAL ASSESSMENT CRITERIA

  1. Evaluate health messages against community needs and suggest improvements.

  2. Discuss the role of Lifestyle in promoting health - covering exercise, nutrition, and avoidance of harmful substances.

REFERENCES

  1. Braveman PA, Egerter SA, Mockenhaupt RE. Broadening the focus: the need to address the social determinants of health. Am J Prev Med. 2011 Jan; 40(1 Suppl 1):S4–18.

  2. Kumar S, Preetha GS. Health promotion: an effective tool for global health. Indian Journal of Community Medicine. Vol 31(1):1-8.

  3. WHO. Geneva. Milestones in Health Promotion, Statements in Global Conferences. 2009.

  4. WHO. Geneva. Mainstreaming health promotion - A practical toolkit. Working draft for the Nairobi Global Conference on Health Promotion, Kenya. 2009.