The document discusses the importance of health education in empowering people to live healthy lifestyles and make informed health decisions. It outlines national health goals established by Healthy People to improve health and reduce disparities among different groups. Developing health literacy by understanding health information is key for individuals to assess their own health needs and care. The goals are to end preventable illness through health promotion and education.
4. The Importance of Health Education
Individual, family, community, and national
health require planning and responsible
behavior on everyone’s part.
Educating the public is the key to creating a
healthier nation.
5. The Importance of Health Education
Health education can empower people to live
healthfully and improve their quality of life.
Health education
Includes providing accurate health
information and teaching health skills to
help people make healthy decisions
6. The Nation’s Health Goals
The federal government has established national
health goals and objectives through Healthy
People.
Healthy People
A nationwide health promotion and
disease prevention plan designed to
serve as a guide for improving the
health of all people in the United States
7. The Nation’s Health Goals
One of the goals of Healthy People 2010 is to
reduce the overweight and obesity rates in
America.
8. The Nation’s Health Goals
The nation has set a goal of reducing these
percentages to 5% of children and adolescents.
9. Goals of Healthy People
Healthy People 2010 established two general
goals for the future:
1. Increase the quality and length of a healthy life for all Americans,
2. Remove health disparities that result from factors such as gender,
race, education, disability, and location.
Health disparities
Differences in health outcomes
among groups
10. Goals of Healthy People
The health goals that are guiding early
development of Healthy People 2020 include the
following:
1
Promote the best possible health in order to end
preventable death, illness, injury, and disability.
2
3
4
Eliminate health disparities.
Make wellness a way of life and enhance quality of
life for individuals and communities.
Promote healthy places and environments.
11. Becoming Health Literate
A health-literate person knows how to find
and use reliable health information.
Every day people all across the country have to
make important decisions that affect their health.
13. Becoming Health Literate
To become an informed individual who can make
sound health decisions, one must know how to:
Understand test results
Figure out how much medicine to take
Assess the risks and benefits of treatment
Decide if the information is correct
Find health information
14. What You Can Do
In order to increase your knowledge and take steps
to improve your wellness, you need to develop
health literacy.
Health literacy
A person’s capacity to learn about and
understand basic health information
and services, and to use these
resources to promote one’s health and
wellness
15. What You Can Do
Qualities of a
Health-Literate
Individual
a critical thinker
and problem
solver
a responsible,
productive
citizen
a self-directed
learner
an effective
communicator
16. After You Read
Reviewing Facts and Vocabulary
1. Why is health education important?
Health education provides information about
health so people can make responsible
health-related decisions. It helps people
maintain a high quality of life and can reduce
national health-care costs.
17. After You Read
Reviewing Facts and Vocabulary
2. What are health disparities?
Health disparities are differences in health
outcomes among groups.
18. After You Read
Reviewing Facts and Vocabulary
3. List three criteria that are needed for an
individual to make sound health decisions.
Know where to find health information;
decide if information is correct; figure out the
risks and benefits of treatment; figure out
when and how to take medications safely;
understand test results
