Public Health Education
EPID 616 Staff
Public Health Education
Semester course; 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. Provides the student with an examination
of theory and practice of public health education. This examination represents
an overview of selected topics that are congruent to the Responsibilities
and Competencies for Entry-Level Health Educators. Specifically, course content
will be centered around assessing individual and community needs for health
education programs, coordinating provision of health education services,
acting as a resource person in health education, and communicating health
and health education needs, concerns, and resources. Spring semester
Prerequisites: EPCH 600 or permission of the faculty
EPCH Program Mission Statement
The Mission of the Medical College of Virginia, Virginia Commonwealth University’s EPCH program is to promote, preserve, and restore health. This Mission is accomplished by educating students to be effective practitioners of the skills, knowledge, and attitudes needed to effectively conduct public health education programs. Students will fulfill this Mission by learning to conduct needs assessments of populations, perform program planning and evaluation, conduct appropriate research to address identified needs, and work with communities to generally enhance, protect, and promote the health and well being of populations at risk
The EPCH program emphasizes community service for underserved populations by working closely with local counties, municipalities, and state agencies, as well as by developing professional opportunities for EPCH program students and graduates. The program is also designed to advance the University’s mission and the School of Medicine’s strategic plan.
Americans with Disabilities Act
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990 requires Virginia Commonwealth University to provide a "reasonable accommodation" to any individual who advises us of a physical or mental disability. If you have a physical or mental limitation that requires an accommodation or an academic adjustment, please arrange a meeting with faculty at your earliest convenience. You are requested not to divulge the specific nature of your disability to faculty or classmates. To receive accommodation for a disability, you must be advised first by the ADA coordinator in the Student Academic Support Services office. Consult your student handbook for the number and any other pertinent information concerning your rights and responsibilities regarding disabilities.
Course Description
This course is designed to introduce graduate students to some of the social science theories and perspectives that are being used as the foundation of health education and practice. It also includes an examination of the factors affecting health and disease, and the role of education in health promotion and disease prevention.
Course Objectives
Upon completion of this course the student is expected to:
- Analyze and compare selected social science perspectives on health and illness;
- Formulate a definition of health and the role of public health education;
- Compare and contrast the contributions of behavior, medical care, heredity and environment on health and illness;
- Describe several significant health promotion and disease prevention studies;
- Discuss and critique selected theories as applied to health education programs;
- Apply selected theories to health education;
- Describe the relevance and process of building collaborative relationships to address community health issues.
Class Schedule and Office Hours
Attendance at all classes is expected. If you are not able to attend, notice should be given prior to class. A student who misses a class session is responsible for material covered. Office hours are not preset; you may set up an appointment at any time.
Evaluation and Grading
Personal Statement: Self-awareness re
Individual Learning Style ungraded Due: 1/26/06
Public Health Education Program Evaluation # 1 20% Due: 2/16/06
Public Health Education Program Evaluation # 2 20% Due: 4/13/06
Program Development Written Exercise 15% Due: 3/30/06
Program Development Class Presentation 15% Due: 4/27/06
5/05/06
Open Book Written Exam 30% Due: 5/05/06
Grading Scale
94 - 100 A
87 - 93 B
80- 87 C
Faculty Expectations
Students in this course are expected to share relevant experiences and to bring to class an attitude of inquiry, enthusiasm, and critical reasoning. The following principles of adult learning will be incorporated into the class dynamics: a) adult students learn in different ways and have life experiences that may at times inform and even transcend scholarly research findings; b) active listening as well as verbal participation contribute to a climate of trust and candor in group learning activities. All students are expected to help create and foster a learning community in which there is new information, the potential for attitude and behavior change, and at least a modest attempt at humor.
Course Text
Wurzbach, Mary Ellen (2002). Community health education and promotion (2 nd ed). Gaithersburg, MD: Aspen
Modeste, N. N. (1996). Dictionary of public health promotion and education: Terms and concepts. Thousand Oaks: SAGE
Optional Text:
Glanz, K., Lewis, F. M., & Rimer, B. K. (1997). Health behavior and health education: Theory, research, and practice (2 nd. ed.) San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers
Additional Readings (optional)
Wells, S. A. (1999). The health beliefs, values, and practices of gay adolescents. Clinical Nurse Specialist, 13, (2) 69-73).
Abrums, M. (2000). Jesus will fix it after awhile: Meanings and health. Social Science and Medicine, 50, 89-105.
Chyna, (2000, JAN/FEB). The consumer revolution: An age of changing expectations. Healthcare Executive, 7-10.
Atkinson, D. (2000). Extraordinary daisies, extraordinary life. J. Health Education, 31 (5), 303-305.
Crossett, L. S., Everett, S. A., Brener, N. D., Fishman, J. A., & Pechacek, T. F. (1999). Adherence to the CDC guidelines for school health programs to prevent tobacco use and addiction. Journal of Health Education, 30 (5), 4-11.
Holcomb, J. D., Kingery, P. M., Sherman, L. D., Smith, Q. W., Smith, D. W., Cullen, K. W., & Montgomery, D. H. (1999). Evaluation of a diabetes education program for fifth-grade students. Journal of Health Education, 30 (2), 73-82.
Evans, D. et al (2001). Can children teach their parents about asthma? Health Education and Behavior, 28 (4), 500-511.
Marick, J. D. & Upshaw, C. M. (2000). Teaching first graders personal hygiene. You and me: germ free. J. Health Education, 34 (5), 310-311.
Mellanby, A. R. et al (2001). A comparative study of peer-led and adult-led school sex education. Health Education Research, 15 (4), 481-492.
Program: Oakland County honor role of gold plate restaurants. (2001). Health Education & Behavior, 28 (5), 529-532.
Program: Kids count farm safety program. (2001). Health Education & Behavior, 28 (6), 661-662.
Program: Senior seminar – Relationships, Dating, and Beyond. (2001). Health Education & Behavior, 28 (6), 662663.
Rugkasa, J. et al (2001). Smoking, and symbolism: Children, communication and cigarettes. Health Education Research, 16 (2), 131-142.
Young, J. C., Bigler, M. A., & Goosman, C. (1999). Using chants and raps in nutrition education. Journal of Health Education, 30, (3), 195-196.
Atkinson, D. (1999). Overfat students 2000: Teachers can help trim fat (Yuck!). Journal of Health Education, 30 (5), 323-324.
Reynolds, T. A. (1999). Using the Wizard of Oz to teach students about healthy and unhealthy relationships. Journal of Health Education, 30 (1), 51,59.
Assignment # 1
Please respond to the following content items in a narrative form. Tell me the story of a learning experience that you have had, as if you were telling it for the first time. I want to be able to understand both what is new to you, and how you feel about it. The experience can be a positive or a negative one, and can be drawn from any stage of your life to date. Avoid sharing a neutral experience.
- Identify a meaningful learning experience that you have had.
- Describe the context of the learning environment: home? school? sports activity? leisure activity? travel? other? relationship? directed or personal study?
- What did you learn?
- What difference did that learning make in your life?
- During the learning process were you aware of the meaningfulness of the experience? If not then, when?
- In what ways could this experience have been enhanced?
- What did you learn from this regarding your personal learning style?
- Have you added to your initial learning through the process of reflecting on the experience?
- What lessons are there from this experience for you as a new health educator?
- Can you identify your preferred learning mode: experiential? auditory? visual? conceptual? a combination? other? Why is this important for an educator to know about himself/herself?
Assignment # 2
Program Evaluation
- Attend at least one session of a public health education program. (This program can be publicly or privately supported; interest group based, church based etc.)
- Describe the program: date; location; participants; content area; relevance for public health.
- Describe how the program content is presented.
- Describe the teaching/learning climate of the program: didactic? participative? Is there evidence of participant involvement in the program planning stage?
- How did (or how could) this program utilize principles from one of the theoretical models that we have discussed in class?
- Describe the use and effectiveness (ineffectiveness?) of audio-visual aids.
- Describe your view of the effectiveness of this program for the participants’ perspective? from your perspective as a new public health educator?
- What constructive feedback would you give the program planners of this education activity? What would be the best format for this feedback?
- What did you learn from this activity that will be of benefit to you in your public health education role?
Assignment # 3
Program Evaluation # 2
The criteria for Assignment #2 is to be used for this assignment. I expect that there will be evidence of new learning, reflection, and theory-based critical reasoning in your evaluation of this second program.
Assignment # 4
Open-Book Take-Home Written Exam
You may use your texts and other sources of information to answer the following questions. Please respond in essay format.
- What is the relationship between public health policy and public health education? Give at least 2 examples of policy driven education programs. Describe these programs in enough detail to be able to identify educational activities that would enhance success.
- Discuss the interrelationships of assessment, planning, implementation, and evaluation (APIE) of public health education programs. Discuss the relevance of programs having a combination of methodical and discontinuous activities related to APIE.
- What criteria or model would you use to evaluate a public health education program. (This may be a theoretical framework, a program evaluation template, or a set of criteria developed by you). Why did you choose this model?
- Describe 3 of the following theories in detail and discuss how they
might be applied in public health education:
- Maslow’s Hierarchy of Need
- Theory of Planned Behavior
- Transtheoretical Model
- Type A Behavior
- Health Belief Model (HBM)
- Lewin’s Field Theory
- Locus of Control
- Health as Expanding Consciousness
- Describe the concept of wellness and its relevance for public health education.
Please feel free to explore the above questions to your satisfaction. There is no page limit but a minimum of 12-15 double spaced (12 font) pages is expected.
Assignment # 5
Program Development Exercise
Using the “lesson plan” template (Modeste, 1996, pp. 71-72)* develop a public health education program plan to include:
program topic
number of instructors and their qualifications
learner characteristics: age, gender, ethnicity, socio-economic status, education, employment
goals of the session(s)
relevant concepts
educational objectives
use of instructional aids
handouts
evaluation methods
Please be clear and concise in your written plan. Each element of Modeste’s model must be addressed. This plan should be presented on 5-7 pages of double spaced print using #12 font.
Student Presentations
The class presentation will be your program development assignment. Remember that you are presenting your program plan, NOT the actual program. However, you may include selected content from your program plan to illustrate your ideas in more detail.
You will have 25 minutes to present your program. Please allow at least 10 minutes for discussion.
Criteria for Evaluation:
Professional demeanor
Overall clarity, creativity and relevance of program
Sensitivity to class audience and their questions
Attention to all elements of Modeste’s “template”
