ANALYZING CASE STUDIES IN HEALTH EDUCATION

The professional health educator is expected to develop certain skills in educational processes that enable them to assist in bringing about specific changes (outcomes) in people which, in turn can affect their health status. This activity focuses on helping you understand how the health educator might use the skills in carrying out community health education programs in a variety of settings.

I. Learning Objectives: In this activity you will be expected to develop skills in:

A. Preparing written analyses of health education programs according to criteria.

B. Delineating functions of health educators in different community settings.

C. Describe methods, procedures, techniques used in health education programs.

D. Recognizing the describable elements of the planning process.

II. The Problem: Locate in a professional journal or other source an account of a health education program that has been conducted. Read the description of the program and prepare a written analysis to include the following elements:

A. Describe the setting (physical, geographical, social, characteristics) of the area or location where the program was conducted.

B. Define the problem the program was designed to deal with: What charges were needed; what was the need.

C. Describe the elements of the educational program; what specific activities were planned; how did the health educator work with people in organizing it?

D. What were the results? What techniques were used for evaluating the program? Discuss the problems involved in implementing the program. What recommendations came out of the program for future consideration.

III. The format for Written Analyses

A. Title page (as per instructions given by the instructor)

B. Body (actual report and analysis for each section described above)

C. Conclusion: (an account of what you learned about the practice of health education)

D. Skills for health education practice: (listing of the skills and competencies needed by the health educator for successful practice)

E. Bibliographical citation: Journal or reference used to prepare case study