COMMUNICATION FOR HEALTH EDUCATION

COMMUNICATION
It can be regarded as a two way process of exchanging or shaping ideas, feelings and information. It is a process necessary to pave way for desired changes in human behavior, and informed individual & community participation to achieve predetermined goals.

Definition of communication:
The process of creating and exchanging meaning through symbolic interaction.
As a process communication constantly moves and changes. It does not stand still. Meaning involves thoughts, ideas, and understandings shared by communicators. Symbolic means that we rely on words and nonverbal behaviors to communicate meaning and feelings.

The Communication Process

Context provides the people, the occasion and the task. Physical environment is the actual place or space where communication occurs. Climate influences the emotional atmosphere.

The Communication Process

Sender
Channel
Noise Encoding

Message
Barrier

Feedback
Decoding

Channel Receiver

The Communication Process

COMPONENTS OF THE COMMUNICATION

SENDER (source) RECIEVER (audience) MESSAGE ( content) CHANNELS ( medium) FEEDBACK ( effect)

SENDER
Originator of the message. To be an effective communicator, one must know: His objectives, clearly defined. His audience: its interests and needs. His message. Channels of communication. His professional abilities & limitations.

RECIEVER
All communications must have audience. Without audience communication is nothing more than a noise. Audiences may be of two types: CONTROLLED: one which is held together by a common interest. UNCONTROLLED: one which is gathered together from motives to curiosity

MESSAGE
It is the information or technical knowhow which the communicator transmits to the audience to receive, understand, accept and act upon. It may be in the form of pictures, signs or words. Transmitting the right message to the right people at the right time is a crucial factor in successful communication.

 A good message must be: In line with objectives. Meaningful. Based on felt needs. Clear and understandable. Specific and accurate. Timely and adequate. Fitting in the audience. Culturally and socially acceptable.

CHANNELS OF COMMUNICATION
The total communication efforts are based on three media systems:
1. INTRAPERSONAL COMMUNICATION

2. INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION
3. MASS MEDIA 4. TRADITIONAL OR FOLK MEDIA

INTRAPERSONAL COMMUNICATION
Intrapersonal Communication is communication that occurs in your own mind. It is self-talk which are the inner speech or mental conversations that we carry on with ourselves. It is the basis of your feelings, biases, prejudices, and beliefs.
Examples are when we make any kind of decision what to eat or wear. When we think about something what we want to do on the weekend or when we think about another person. We can also communicate with ourselves when we dream at night.

INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION
Interpersonal communication is the communication between two people but can involve more in informal conversations. Through this kind of communication we maintain relationships.
Examples are when you are talking to your friends. A teacher and student discussing an assignment. A patient and a doctor discussing a treatment. A manager and a potential employee during an interview. Any one on one or informal communication.

IT IS FACE TO - COMMUNICATION

 It is personal and direct, therefore it is more persuasive and effective than any other form. Particularly important in influencing the decisions of undecided persons.

MASS MEDIA
TV, Radio, printed media etc. It reaches a relatively larger population in shorter time as compared to other means. It is one way channel. Carries message only from centre to periphery. Feedback mechanisms are poorly organized.

FOLK MEDIA
Every community has its own network of folk media such as folk dances, singing, dramas, nautanki etc. These are important channels of communication close to the cultural values in rural population.

TYPES OF COMMUNICATION
ONE WAY COMMUNICATION ( Didactic Method) TWO-WAY COMMUNICATION ( Socratic Method) VERBAL COMMUNICATION NON-VERBAL COMMUNICATION\ FORMAL AND INFORMAL COMMUNICATION VISUAL COMMUNICATION TELECOMMUNICATION & INTERNET

ONE WAY COMMUNICATION

Flow of information is one way. Example is lecture method in classrooms. Drawbacks: Knowledge is imposed Learning is authoritative. Little audience participation. No feedback. Does not influence human behavior.

TWO WAY COMMUNICATION

Both communicator and audience takes part. Audience may raise questions, and add their own information, ideas and opinions to the subject. Learning is active and democratic More likely to influence human behavior.

VERBAL COMMUNICATION
Communication by words of mouth. It is traditional way of communication. Direct verbal communication by word of mouth may be loaded with hidden messages. It is persuasive.

NON VERBAL COMMUNICATION

Communication can occur even without words. It includes a whole range of bodily movements ,postures, gestures, facial expressions etc. Silence is a form of non-verbal communication. It can speak louder than words.

FORMAL & INFORMAL COMMUNICATION

Formal: follows lines of authority. Informal: grape vine communication. Informal communication exists in all organizations The informal channels may be more active if the formal channels do not cater the information needs. Example : gossip circles(informal)

VISUAL COMMUNICATION
It comprises: Charts Graphs Pictograms Tablets Maps Posters etc.

 Telecommunication is the process of communicating over distance using electromagnetic instruments designed for the purpose. Radio, TV, and Internet are mass communication media. Telephone , telex, and telegraph are known as point to point systems. Point to point system is much closer to interpersonal communication.

TELECOMMUNICATION AND INTERNET

Good communication technique

Source credibility. Clear message. Good channel: individual, group & mass education. Receiver: ready, interested, not occupied. Feed back. Observe non-verbal cues. Active listing. Establishing good relationship.

HEALTH COMMUNICATION

INTRODUCTION
Health is the concern of everyone for everyone. Health communication is therefore an important area of communication. Health education is the foundation of the preventive health care system.

FUNCTIONS OF HEALTH EDUCATION

Information Education Motivation Persuasion Counseling Raising morals Health developments organization

INFORMATION
Provide scientific knowledge or information to people about health problems and how to maintain and promote health. Exposure to right information can: Eliminate social and psychological barriers of ignorance, prejudice, and misconceptions people may have about health matters.

Increase awareness of the people to the point that they are able to percieve their health needs Influence people to the extent that unfelt needs become felt needs, and felt needs becomes demand. Correct information is the basic part of health education.

EDUCATION
Education of the general public health is an integral part of prevention oriented approach to the health and disease problems; and the basis for all education in communication. Education can help to increase knowledge. It is often assumed that knowledge determines attitudes and attitudes determine behavior.

 Health education can bring about changes in life styles and risk factors of the disease.

 Power that drives a person from within to act. One of the goals of health education is to motivate individuals to translate health information into personal, behavioral and life style for their own health. Motivation includes the stages of interest, evaluation, and decision making.

MOTIVATION

 Health communication assists the individual in passing from the state of awareness and interest to the final stage of decision making and adoption of new idea or programme. Motivation may not be long lasting. It may diminish with lapse of time.

PERSUASION
Persuasion is the art of wining friends and influencing people. It is a conscious attempt by one individual to change or influence the general beliefs, understanding, values and behavior of another individual or group of individuals in some desired way. Persuasive communication is more effective than authoritative communication. It can change life style and modify the risk factors of disease.

COUNSELING
Process that can help people understand better and deal with their problems and communicate better with those with whom they are emotionally involved. It can reinforce motivation to change behavior. It implies choice, not force.

 A counselor should be able : To communicate information. To gain the trust of the people. To listen sympathetically to people who are anxious, distressed, and possibly hostile. To understand other peoples feelings and to respond to them in such a way that the other person can feel free to express feelings. To help people reduce or resolve their problems.

RAISING MORALE
Morale is the capacity of a group of people (team) to pull together persistently or consistently. Communication is the first step in raising the morale of the health team or a group of people.

HEALTH DEVELOPMENT
Communication can play a powerful role in health development by helping to diffuse knowledge in respect of the goals of the development and preparing the people for the roles expected of them. Judicial use of communication media can contribute to health development.

HEALTH ORGANIZATION
Communication is the life and blood of an organization. There are two major directions in which communication within an organization flow. These are Vertical & Horizontal communications. Vertical communication can be downward or upward.

 Horizontal or cross communication takes place usually between equals at any level. The downward communication extends from top administrator down through the hierarchy of professionals and nonprofessionals to the beneficiaries or employees. The direction in which communication flows in an organization suggests the degree of freedom in the internal communication network

HEALTH EDUCATION

Health education
Health education is defined as: Any combination of learning experiences designed to facilitate voluntary adaptation of behavior conducive to health. This definition imply: - All possible channels of influence on health are appropriately combined and designed to support adaptation of behavior. - The word voluntary is significant for ethical reasons. (Educators should not force people to do what they dont want to do ) i.e. All efforts should be done to help people make decisions and have their own choices. - The word designed refers to planned, integral, intended activities rather than casual, incident, trivial experiences.

Health education or Health Promotion?

With rising criticism that traditional H.E. was too narrow, focused on individuals lifestyle and could become victim blaming, more work was done about wider issues eg. social policy, environmental safety measures

( EMERGENCE of HEALTH PROMOTION )

Health Promotion:

Is any combination of educational, organizational, economic and environmental support for behaviors and conditions of living conducive to health . Health Promotion is a widely used term to encompass various activities eg. : Behavior & lifestyle, Preventive health services, Health protection directed at environment, Health related public policy, Economic & regulatory measures.
(Health Education is the primary and dominant measure in Health Promotion ).

AIMS OF HEALTH EDUCATION:

1. To develop a sense of responsibility for health conditions,

as individuals, as members of families & communities. (Promotion ,prevention of disease & early diagnosis and management ). 2. To promote and wisely use the available health services.

3. To be part of all education, and to continue throughout whole span of life.

Process of health education:

Dissemination of scientific knowledge (about how to promote and maintain health), leads to changes in KAP related to such changes.

Steps for adopting new ideas & practices :

AWARENESS (Know about new ideas) INTEREST (Seeks more details ) EVALUATION
(Advantages versus disadvant.+ testing usefulness )

TRIAL
and adopts it)

(Decision put into practice)

ADOPTION (person feels new idea is good

CONTENTS OF HEALTH EDUCATION:

Nutrition Health habits Personal hygiene Safety rules Basic (K) of disease & preventive measures Mental health Proper use of health services Sex education Special education for groups( fd handlers, occupations, mothers, school health etc. ) Principles of healthy life style e.g. sleep, exercise

Principles of health education:

Interest Participation Motivation Comprehension Proceeding from the known to the unknown Reinforcement through repetition Good human relations People, facts and media: knowledgeable, attractive , acceptable .

Principles of health education:

Learning by doing: If I hear, I forget If I see, I remember If I do, I know.
Motivation, i.e. awakening the desire to know and learn: - Primary motives, e.g. inborn desires , hunger, sex. - Secondary motives, i.e. desires created by incentives such as praise, love, recognition, competition.

Communication in health education:

Education is primarily a matter of communication, the components of which are: CHANNELS AUDIENCE MESSAGE COMMUNICATOR - Individual - Conform with - Educator - Media - Group objectives.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2 way - needs+ interest of audience -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

- Public

- understandable

- 1 way

- ? Content of message -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

- Public

- Acceptable

Evaluation of health education programs:

There should be continuous evaluation.

Evaluation should not be left to the end but should be done from time to time for purpose of making modifications to achieve better results.

EVALUATION CYCLE:
Describe problem Describe program State goals Determine needed information

Modify program

Establish basis for proof of effectiveness

Analyze &compare results

Organize data base

Develop& test instruments

Determine data collecting method

BIBLIOGRAPHY
TEXTBOOK OF PREVENTIVE AND SOCIAL MEDICINE. K. PARK 21ST EDITION