About Community Health Education Programs

Community health education programs are ideal for individuals interested in learning more about health and changing their health-related behaviors. These classes educate on a variety of topics from weight loss to improving family relationships. They create a sense of community and provide a personal support group. Seek out organizations in your area to determine what types of classes they offer and how you can get involved to improve your health and well-being.

Function

• Community health education programs are designed to provide knowledge to the general public in an effort to stimulate health behavior change. These programs have a goal of increasing awareness and improving health. For example, programs to decrease smoking and those to increase nutrition and exercise are considered community health education programs. While these programs work to decrease the incidence of disease over the long term within a community; they are also impacting these rates at a national level. A secondary outcome includes community support through meetings for these programs and the groups they develop.

Types

• These types of health education programs cover a multitude of topics and focus on both mental and physical health. Community physical activity programs, such as IN Shape from Indiana, encourage participants to track their daily exercise to earn prizes. Some also offer workshops and classes that teach about related topics. Similarly, many communities offer weight-loss competitions among residents that mimic popular reality television shows with the same theme. Smoking cessation is a common type of community health program that works to decrease the rates of smoking, thereby reducing rates of related diseases such as lung cancer. Programs such as Maintain Your Brain® from the Alzheimer's Association work to reduce the incidence of specific diseases. Relationship workshops and parenting classes promote the development of necessary skills and mental well being.

Features

• The programs are often offered through local branches of statewide or national organizations such as the health department or the cooperative extension county office. These programs can also be found at local hospitals or community centers. Organizations such as the American Diabetes Association and the Alzheimer's Association also offer community programs. Health education classes target specific populations within the community, including adults, older adults, parents, youth or a combination of one or more groups. Programs usually provide a session of workshops lasting several weeks and include classes that participants can attend which are intended to educate. Along with this there may be components outside the class setting such as the tracking of food intake and exercise with weight-loss programs. These classes may culminate with a test or exam of knowledge gained. Participants often evaluate themselves and the instructors. These programs can last anywhere from a few hours to several weeks with followup throughout the year.

Prevention/Solution

• Community health education programs are an important component in the reduction of disease and improvement of health at a national level. Programs held within a community provide a grassroots approach to solving health problems. The classes are offered by respected individuals within the community, and when it comes to programs for behavior change, people are held accountable by peers that they see every day in their own local area. By offering these programs nearby with easy steps and support for change, they provide an achievable method for positively influencing health behaviors that result in overall wellness.

Expert Insight

• Community health education programs are the main way health departments, cooperative extension, hospitals, community centers and national health organizations utilize research-based information to educate and improve the health of the public. By taking part in these types of program, you can be assured that you are learning the most current, accurate and reliable information. When taking part in a program, don't be afraid to ask how it originated, what information or research it is based on and whether or not successful results have been gained in the past using the program.