The Importance Of Health Education
Health education (EPS) is a fundamental pillar for any country and society today. It is a process that seeks to make the population acquire a series of knowledge and skills that allow them to make decisions related to their own health.
Although many people think that the concept of health is just the absence of disease, the truth is that it encompasses many other aspects. We must understand health as a state of personal and social well-being.
Furthermore, it is important to keep in mind that, in order to have good health, it is necessary to promote the responsibility of each person. Not just adopting healthy habits with yourself, but also influencing others to do so.
Therefore, in this article, we will explain the importance of health education, in addition to mentioning some typical measures and proposals for this process.
How is health education defined?
In recent years, health education has been gaining strength and is considered one of the basic processes of education and society. According to the World Health Organization, health education is defined as:
According to other authors , it is a process through which people learn to behave in a way that favors the promotion, maintenance or restoration of health. In other words, healthy attitudes and habits are incorporated.
This process goes further. It seeks to make each person develop a critical capacity to make decisions on this issue, which allows them to take care of their own health and that of other people.
Health education also helps to analyze all the factors that influence the health of a population. It allows you to examine environmental, social or economic causes that cause illness or health problems, for example.
How is health education applied?
Like any other educational process, health education can be carried out using different methods. First, there are the direct or bidirectional methods. They are those in which the role of educator and listener is established.
To carry out direct methods, there needs to be a certain proximity between the person who educates and those who learn. It would be, for example, a class in which the teacher transmits knowledge or a group discussion.
Within these methods, we also find lectures on content and dialogue in health. A clear example of dialogue is when the physician, in consultation, makes a series of recommendations directed to the patient.
On the other hand, there are indirect methods, also called unidirectional. They are based on the fact that one person sends a message that can reach a greater number of people, through means such as television.
Among the indirect methods are audiovisual and sound media. For example, health education can be done through leaflets, posters or newspapers. Radio and cinema are other options.
The importance of the Internet
We must emphasize that, currently, the Internet is one of the fundamental aspects of health education. It is the greatest source of information there is. The problem is that this information may not be the most adequate or true.
Therefore, you need to know how to use this tool, looking for reliable and educational sources. In fact, there are more and more apps and programs that aim to somehow promote health education and good habits.
Finally, it is worth noting that health education is not a process focused only on young people, but seeks the collaboration of the entire population. It is never too late to start becoming aware and taking responsibility for our health.
