Health Education
IHS health educators are Public Health Educators. They do a great deal of networking with tribal departments, schools, BIA, county health departments, etc. They are also expected to take a broad view of health education; for example, they often develop programs for a wide variety of health promotion/disease prevention issues.
The health educators, both IHS and tribal, provide a number of different services based on community health needs.
What is Health Education?
- Health education is a social science that draws from the biological, environmental, psychological, physical and medical sciences to promote health and prevent disease, disability and premature death through education-driven voluntary behavior change activities.
- Health education is the development of individual, group, institutional, community and systemic strategies to improve health knowledge, attitudes, skills and behavior.
- The purpose of health education is to positively influence the health behavior of individuals and communities as well as the living and working conditions that influence their health.
The Importance of Health Education
- Health education improves the health status of individuals, families, communities, states, and the nation.
- Health education enhances the quality of life for all people.
- Health education reduces premature deaths.
- By focusing on prevention, health education reduces the costs (both financial and human) that individuals, employers, families, insurance companies, medical facilities, communities, the state and the nation would spend on medical treatment.
Additional Resources:
IHS Health Education in Phoenix Area [DOC - 206 KB]
