Chapter 9 Information, Education And Communication Questions and Answers
Question 1. Approaches or Aims in Health Education.
Answer:
Aims of health education: The definition adopted by WHO in 1969 and the Alma Ata declaration adopted in 1978 provide a useful basis for formulating the aims and objectives of health education.
These are as follows:
- To help people understand that health is the most valuable community asset, and to help them achieve optimum health through their activities and efforts.
- To develop a sense of responsibility for improving their health as individual members of families and communities.
- To develop scientific knowledge, attitude, and skills on health matters to enable people to develop correct habits.
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- To educate people on the proper use of health services in whatever forms it is made available to them by the government.
- To alter behaviour that may have directly or indirectly influenced the occurrence or spread of diseases in a given setting, a culturally relevant health education programme can be planned only after understanding the behaviour in all its manifestations.
- To promote the greater possible fulfilment of inherited powers of the body and the mind and the happy adjustment of an individual in society.
- To provide a person with appropriate knowledge to enjoy decent health and also knowledge about the occurrence and spread of disease thus enabling him to adopt relevant preventive measures.
- To create in him an interest in his health and well-being.
- To create in him an interest in the health of other members of his family as well as those living in his surroundings.
- To create in him a desire to support health education programmes in his area. In a nutshell, the focus of health education is on people and action. Its goal is to make realistic improvements in the basic quality of life.
Question 2. Principles of health education.
Answer:
Principles of health education: Health education encompasses two activities: teaching and learning. Teaching is ineffective without learning. Both the health educator and the patient are responsible for bringing about a change in health knowledge, health attitude and behaviour. Some essential principles of health education are discussed below
Health Education Credibility of message: It is the degree to which the message to be communicated is perceived as trustworthy by the receiver.
Health Education Creating Interest among Participants: It is a psychological principle that people are unlikely to listen to things that are not of their interest. If a health programme is based on the felt needs, people will participate in the programme willingly.
Health Education Motivating The participants: Motivation is like a petrol engine that drives the mental engine. It is the fundamental desire in every person to learn. Motivation is contagious; one motivated person may spread motivation throughout the group.
Health Education Enhance comprehension of content: It means health education should be based on the level of understanding, education and literacy of people at whom the teaching is directed. Teaching should be within the mental capacity of the audience.
Health Education Ensure reinforcement: Repetition at intervals is necessary to promote learning. Without reinforcement and feedback, students can go back to the preawareness stage.
Principles Of Health Education
- Credibility ol message
- Creating interest
- Motivating participants
- Enhancing comprehension
- Ensure reinforcement
- Encourage active participation
- Learning by doing
- Known to unknown
- Maintain good human relations
- Selling an example
- Regular feedback
- Efficient leadership
Health Education Encourage active participation: Participation is a keyword in health education. It is based on the psychological principle of learning. Health education should aim at encouraging people to work actively with health workers and others in identifying their health problems and also in developing solutions. The Alma Ata declaration states, ‘the people have a right and duty to participate individually and collectively in the planning and implementation of their health care’.
Health Education Learning by doing: Teaching is effective when individuals actively participate in health education. Learning becomes active and quicker if the individuals are made active physically as well as psychologically.
Health Education Known to unknown: It is based on the appreciative mass theory of learning. The people in a community know something and the health educator enlarges this knowledge. If the health educator links new knowledge with old knowledge, it can enhance learning.
Health Education Maintaining Good Human Relations: Sharing of information, ideas and feelings happens most easily between people who have a good relationship.
Health Education Setting An Example: Health educators should set a good example in the topic they are dealing with as it fosters better understanding.
Health Education Regular Feedback: Feedback is one of the key concepts of the system approach. The health educator can modify the elements of the system in light of the feedback from his audience. For effective communication, feedback is of paramount importance.
Health Education Efficient Leadership: Leaders are agents of change and they can be made use of in health education work. Psychologists have shown and established that we learn best from people we respect and regard.
The essential attributes of a leader are as follows:
- Understands the needs of the community.
- Provides proper guidance.
- Takes initiative.
- Is receptive to the views and suggestions of people.
- Identifies himself with the community.
- Is selfless, honest, impartial, considerate and sincere.
- Is easily accessible to people.
Question 6 Explain in detail about mass media.
Answer:
Definitions of mass media: It is defined as a one-way communication that is useful in transmitting messages to people even in the remotest places. Mass media is those means of communication that reach and influence large numbers of people, especially newspapers, popular magazines, radio and television. Mass media are those media that are created to be consumed by a large number of people worldwide and also a direct contemporary instrument of mass communication.
Classification of mass media: Mass media may be classified as follows
Electronic media: Electronic media may include television, film and radio, movies, internet, CDs, DVDs and other devices like cameras and video consoles.
Performing media: This includes music, songs, dramas, skits, puppet shows, poetry, speech, gossip and jokes.
Visual media: Paintings, handicrafts, costumes, and certain printed literature such as books, pamphlets, leaflets, brochures, newsletters, journals, magazines and newspapers make up the visual media.
Methods of mass media communication: The common methods used for mass media communication are television, film and radio, movies, internet, CDs, DVDs and other devices like cameras and video consoles. Alternatively, print media use physical objects such as newspapers, magazines, brochures, newsletters, books, leaflets and pamphlets as a means of sending their information.
Television TV has become the most popular of all media. It is effective in not only creating awareness but also to an extent influencing public opinion and introducing new ways of life. The importance of the television is given below:
- It is a good source of entertainment.
- It keeps our knowledge up to date.
- Advertisements inform the general public about various health programmes and new ideas.
- It provides us with the latest information.
- It contributes positively to the education of society and provides awareness to the people.
Radio: It is found nearly in every home. In many developing countries, the radio has a broader audience than television as it can also be seen in the remotest of villages. Radio transmission serves as a vital agency of mass education if used effectively as it is also accessible to poor people. For example, the Government is promoting Kangaroo Mother Care for preterm and low birth weight babies through radio these days.
Newspapers
- The newspaper today plays a vital role in human affairs.
- The importance of newspapers is as follows:
- They play an important part both in the national and international areas. They give us news and views. The way a man wants food for his belly, he also needs news for his mind to keep pace with the world.
- They refresh our knowledge and ideas.
- They broaden our outlook and change our views.
- They educate the common people.
- They shape the opinions of the common people of a country by influencing public opinion.
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