PREVENTIVE HEALTH EDUCATION FOR CHILDREN

 Introduction :
Health education is the profession of educating people about health. Areas within this profession encompass
environmental health, physical health, social health, emotional health, intellectual health, and spiritual health.
 Definition: It can be defined as the principle by which individuals and groups of people learn to behave in a manner
conducive to the promotion, maintenance, or restoration of health.
Or
The Joint Committee on Health Education and Promotion Terminology of 2001 defined Health Education as "any
combination of planned learning experiences based on sound theories that provide individuals, groups, and
communities the opportunity to acquire information and the skills needed to make quality health decisions."
Or
The World Health Organization defined Health Education as "comprising of consciously constructed opportunities
for learning involving some form of communication designed to improve health literacy, including improving
knowledge, and developing life skills which are conducive to individual and community health."
 Definition of health educator:
A health educator is “a professionally prepared individual who serves in a variety of roles and is specifically trained
to use appropriate educational strategies and methods to facilitate the development of policies, procedures,
interventions, and systems conducive to the health of individuals, groups, and communities” (Joint Committee on
health education)
 Preventive health care:
Preventive health care is medical attention that focuses on keeping children healthy. It involves monitoring a child’s
growth and development on a regular and scheduled basis as well as supplying recommended vaccines at the
appropriate ages. Preventive health care aims to prevent disease from developing or to detect an illness or disease in
the earliest stages. Preventive health education is medical attention that focuses on keeping children healthy. There
are five components of preventive pediatrics, i.e.
 Nutrition which promotes good health,
 Health care and health maintenance,
 Immunizations prevents childhood diseases,
 Safety and accident prevention,
 Emotional climate in the home.

1. NUTRITIONAL EDUCATION

Nutrition, nourishment, or aliment, is the supply of materials - food - required by organisms and cells to stay alive.
In science and human medicine, nutrition is the science or practice of consuming and utilizing foods. Nutritional
education is individual or group education sessions and the giving of information and educational materials.

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 GOALS OF NUTRITIONAL EDUCATION

The overall goal for nutrition education is to promote the integration of nutrition education:

 To motivate participants to eat a healthy diet.

 Improve the health status of child.
 Understands the strong relationship between nutrition and health.
 Improve their food choices and eating habits by showing them how to use healthy foods.
 Prevent nutrition related health problems.
 To offer each child an opportunity to purchase healthy foods that will add to their health.
 Promote nutrition awareness to parents and communities through any of the following methods: offering healthy
eating seminars, sending nutrition information home, posting nutrition tips on websites and providing nutrient
analyses of school menus.
 Promote healthy foods, including fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and low-fat dairy products.

IMPORTANCE OF NUTRITION EDUCATION

 Nutrition education can make a significant contribution to improved dietary practices.

 Well-designed and effectively implemented nutrition education can motivate those participating to change dietary
behaviors and provide them with the knowledge and skills to make healthy food choices in the context of their
lifestyles and economic resources.
 Effective nutrition education and promotion includes multiple components like skill building to facilitate positive
behavior change.
 It helps consumers select and consume healthy and enjoyable foods by improving awareness, skills, and motivation
to take action at home, school, and work.
 Nutrition is an aspect of life that is very important. What we put into our bodies acts as fuel. If you feed your body
garbage it will not work well. The better you fuel your body, the better it will behave for you in the future.
 Nutrition is important for the body to function. If it do not get enough vitamins and minerals in your diet you can
become weakened or ill.
 Good nutrition is important because it gives the body what it needs to have good health. If body have good nutrition
then you have more energy, less weight problem, and less long term disease issues

HEALTH EDUCATION ON DIET

 The main emphasis should be given on the healthy diet in the childhood, which includes all the essential nutrients.
 Childhood is the period in which the maximum growth occurs, so better nutrition should be provided at this age to
enhance the immunity and prevent the various diseases and malnutrition in the child.
 Problems associated with the improper dietary pattern are malnutrition, obesity, deficiency diseases etc.

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 Childhood overweight and obesity are also associated with a number of long term negative consequences. Some of
these include increased risk of developing hypertension, type 2 diabetes mellitus, hypercholesterolemia, stroke,
hepatic steatosis (fatty liver), arthritis, sleep apnea, gall bladder disease, and bronchial asthma.
 Childhood overweight and obesity are also linked to a variety of psychological issues. Some of these include
depression, discrimination, low self-esteem, peer rejection, and stigmatization.
 The child should be encouraged to avoid the junk food and spicy food. The nutritive importance of the food should
be told to the parents and they are encouraged to introduce healthy food in the diet of their child, to make the better
health in the child.

2.)Hygiene : It includes health hygiene to maintain the health.

Hygiene: Germs live all round us. Not all are dangerous to man, some are even useful. Care should be taken to keep
them as clean and dry as possible. Houses stay clean if the people living in them are clean. Good personal and food
hygiene make it easier and simpler to keep a home spotless, and vice-versa. Cleaning should always be carried out
with the appropriate products. Be careful with household cleaners and let adults use them. To avoid getting ill, avoid
contamination by germs. And avoiding contamination means good hygiene. The concept of hygiene has a variety of
aspects and effective daily hygiene implies understanding the relationship between them.

Food hygiene

It is essential to follow simple rules when eating or cooking. Always wash food and cooking utensils. Keep food at
the recommended temperatures. Do not eat food that is out of date. Keep leftovers in the fridge. Pay attention to cold
chain principles.

Note: the fridge and cooker are not magic and they do not kill all germs. But if you use them properly, you can eat
safely.

Remember that the very young, the sick and the elderly may not digest everything so easily.

Food freshness: when in doubt, throw it out!

Personal hygiene

Appropriate personal hygiene is essential to avoid falling ill or passing germs on to others. Clean teeth after every
meal, wash hands after touching anything suspicious and wash the body every day, as well as after playing sport.

Avoid touching things that someone else has touched or put into their mouth, and vice versa. Sneezing and coughing
should be done with the hand in front of the mouth and hands should be washed afterwards. Noses should be blown
as a matter of course with disposable tissues.

Pay attention to the health of the very young, pregnant women and sick people.

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 Hygiene and pet

Never play with an animal you don't know. It may be covered in germs, which could make you or your family ill. It
is great to have a pet in the home, but don't forget to bath it and regularly clean feeding bowls, litter trays, toys and
personal objects to prevent germs from spreading.

When playing with an animal, even your own, always wash your hands afterwards. Some people are more sensitive
to allergens carried by animals: the sick, the elderly, pregnant women and babies

ORAL HEALTH

The oral health of children is important to their overall well-being. Often thought to be only the presence or absence
of tooth decay, oral health actually includes all the sensory, digestive, respiratory, structural, and emotional
functions of the teeth, the mouth, and associated facial structures. Like other aspects of children's health, oral health
must be considered in the context of social, cultural, and environmental factors. Dental and oral disorders can have a
profound impact on children, and the burden of untreated dental health problems is substantial.

 Untreated dental decay (cavities) can result in pain, infection, tooth loss, difficulty eating or speaking, and poor
appearance, all of which present challenges for maintaining self-esteem and attentiveness to learning. Chronic pain
can alter a child's ability to sleep and play, and it hinders efforts to show them that their personal actions can make a
difference in their own health.
 Anticipatory Guidance - Dental Brushing as soon as teeth appear, flossing as soon as adjacent teeth are in contact.
Pea-sized, or child’s fifth digit fingernail. Professional evaluation if thumb-sucking persists beyond 3 years Prevent
Dental Injury- Cover sharp corners, mouth guards etc. Dietary counseling Fluoride toothpaste under supervision.
 Dental screen – By 1 year age, or within 6 months of the first teeth appearing (whichever is earlier) 6 monthly
thereafter. The dentist will clean and examine your child's teeth, fill cavities, and instruct on caring for your child's
teeth.
 Once a child is old enough, the teeth should be brushed at least once a day with a pea-sized amount of fluoride
toothpaste.
 The most common oral health problem for children is dental decay, which is preventable by a combination of
community, professional, and individual measures, including water fluoridation, professionally applied topical
fluorides and dental sealants (protective plastic coatings), regular use of fluoride toothpastes, and healthful dietary
practices.

2. IMMUNIZATION

Immunizations (vaccinations, shots) help protect your child from very serious diseases. Many of these diseases have
been almost non-existent due to widespread immunization, but the risk is still present. It is important that your child

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 gets the recommended shots at the appropriate ages to protect them from these very serious diseases. The
recommended vaccinations:

 Hib: To protect against a bacterial infection. Given in three or four doses (depending on the brand) by the time the
child is 12 to 18 months old.
 DTP: To protect against diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis. Given at 2, 4, 6, and 15 to 18 months of age, with a
booster between 4 and 6 years.
 Hepatitis B vaccine: To protect against the viral disease hepatitis B. Given in three doses before 15 months of age.
 Polio vaccine: Given in four doses, using the IPV (inactivated polio vaccine, in which polio virus has been killed),
rather than the OPV (oral polio vaccine, made from live but weakened polio viruses). Given at 2 months, 4 months,
6-18 months, and booster at 4 to 6 years.
 MMR vaccine: To protect against measles, mumps and rubella (German measles). Given in two doses, at 12 to 15
months and again between 4 and 6 years or before junior high or middle school.
 Rotavirus vaccine: To protect against the rotovirus, a common cause of severe diarrhea and dehydration in infants
and toddlers. Oral vaccine given at 2, 4, and 6 months. Not recommended for children over 6 months old.
 Pneumococcal vaccine: To protect against the pneumococcal bacteria, the leading cause of bacterial meningitis.
Given in four doses at 2, 4, 6, and 12-15 months. May be given to children age 2 to 5 years old if at high risk of
infection.
 Chickenpox vaccine: To protect against the chickenpox virus. Recommended for all children older than 12 months
who have not had chickenpox. Given as a single shot for children ages 12 months to 12 years, while two shots four
to eight weeks apart are necessary for children 13 and older who have never had chickenpox.
 Influenza: To protect against the flu. Recommended yearly for healthy children from 6 months to 5 years of age.

3. SAFETY AND ACCIDENT PREVENTION

ROAD SAFETY Road trauma is a leading cause of death and disabling injury for children. Young children do not
have the skills and abilities needed to be safe in traffic on their own. Teach children to be safe in the car and as a
pedestrian on or near the road. Safety awareness should begin from childhood, as it is difficult to impart awareness
to a grown up human. If safety awareness is imparted in childhood, safety will be a habit. So impart Road Safety and
General Safety awareness to your children during childhood itself. Better, before the age of Six.

Children up to five years of age

 Talk with your child about the traffic environment.

 Hold your child’s hand when you are near cars. Talk with your child about why it is important to hold hands.
 Explain what you are doing when you cross the road together. Involve your child in deciding when it is safe to cross
the road – of course you still make the decision but you are teaching your child to THINK in the traffic
environment.

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 Always be a good role model for your child.
 Involve your child in choosing safe places to play.
 Ensure your child always rides on the footpath or a bicycle track with adult supervision.
 Make sure you get your child in and out of the car on the kerb side.
 Ensure that children wear an appropriate and properly adjusted child restraint or booster seat on every car trip.
 Ask your child’s early childhood service to include road safety education in the program

From five to nine years of age

Child still needs adult supervision and assistance in the traffic environment:

 Talk together about signs and traffic lights. Identify and discuss places where it is safe to cross the road.
 Teach your child how to cross roads using the ‘stop, look, listen and think’ process – stop at the kerb, look and
listen for traffic and then decide whether it is safe to cross. Take the trip to school together along the safest footpaths
and use safe crossing places.
 Supervise your child on the way to and from school.
 Limit bike riding to parks, playgrounds or schoolyards and on the footpath with supervision – never on the road
without an adult.
 Make certain that your child wears an approved helmet when riding a bike.
 Ensure that your child wears an appropriate and properly adjusted child restraint, booster seat or seatbelt on every
car trip.
 Ask at your child’s school what road safety programs are being taught.

From 10 to 13 years of age

Children of this age can cope more safely in traffic on their own. This will depend, however, on how much practice
the child has had in the ‘real traffic’ environment:

 Check that your child always ‘stops, looks, listens and thinks’ when crossing the road. Ask them to explain to you
what they are doing and why they are doing it.
 Talk with your child about road laws. Go for regular rides and walks together.
 Plan with your child safe routes to school and places your child often visits.
 Talk with your child about where they can safely ride.
 Make certain that an approved bicycle helmet is worn.
 Make sure your child wears colours that are easy to see.
 Ensure that properly adjusted seatbelts are worn on every car trip.

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 Video, Computer Games that simulate Racing should discouraged by parents as it will develop racing habit in
children. Don’t allow your children to watch Motor sports especially Racing.
 Cinema, Serials and Advertisements involving Racing, over speed / highly risky riding etc should be watched by
children ONLY with Parental Guidance. Warn them about it’s dangers when they are small kids itself.
 Children below a certain age should not be permitted to do cycling in busy roads and in roads where heavy vehicles
are plying. Parents of children residing near busy roads should keep the Gates closed always.
 Ensure that your Helmet is of good quality meeting standard specifications. Otherwise replace it TODAY. Most
important method to prevent road accidents is restriction of speed. 90 % of accidents can be avoided by limiting
speeds.
 Always maintain safe distance with the vehicle in front. Don’t let your children to use mobile phones while driving /
riding. Ask your children to avoid listening to music while walking / driving / riding on the road.
 Ask your children to avoid FM Radio, Media Players etc. while walking / driving / riding on the road. When your
family is planning a new Car, go for a Yellow or other bright colored one. Avoid the Black color as far as possible.

DROWNING

Drowning is the leading cause of accidental death in infants and children in 10 states, and near drowning accounts
for more than 10 times as many accidents. Children aged 1 to 4 years are at the highest risk of drowning in
residential swimming pools. Education of parents is a key variable in drowning prevention. Knowledge about water
safety is centered around three important concepts: (a) supervision, (b) barriers, and (c) emergency procedures. The
pediatric nurse plays an invaluable role in educating parents about these concepts and in increasing parents'
awareness of safety risks.

 Development and implementation of safe water systems, such as drainage systems, piped water systems, flood
control embankments in flood prone areas.
 Building four-sided pool fences or barriers preventing access to standing water.
 Creating and maintaining safe water zones for recreation.
 Covering of wells or open cisterns.
 Emptying buckets and baths, and storing them upside-down.
 Learning to swim programmes for school children and adults;
 Supervision of children in and outside the home and establishing parent groups or other child care mechanisms in
rural communities, especially around harvesting.
 Educating children on not entering fast-flowing streams and not swimming alone.

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References:
1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Health_education
2. World Health Organization. (1998). List of Basic Terms. Health Promotion Glossary. (pp. 4). Retrieved
May 1, 2009; (cited on 2014 May 5).Available from:
http://www.who.int/hpr/NPH/docs/hp_glossary_en.pdf
3. Centers for Disease Control & Prevention. (2007). National Health Education Standards. Retrieved May 1,
2009; Available from: http://www.cdc.gov/HealthyYouth/SHER/standards/index.htm
4. Saving children through health education. (cited 2014 May 20). Availablr from:
http://www.rolexawards.com/explore/themes/the_power_of_education?s_kwcid=AL!141!3!38656031557