Health Education cheat sheet

Needs assessment precedes program design; it identifies gaps between current and desired health status in a defined population.

PRECEDE-PROCEED: PRECEDE phases 1-4 are social, epidemiological, behavioral/environmental, and educational/ecological assessment; PROCEED covers implementation and evaluation.

Three assessment types: community (assets and needs of a population), educational (what learners already know and must learn), and administrative (resources, budget, staffing, timeline).

Primary data are collected firsthand (surveys, interviews, focus groups, observation); secondary data are existing records (vital statistics, surveillance, census).

Key community indicators: incidence, prevalence, mortality, morbidity, and years of potential life lost (YPLL).

Formative assessment is done before or during a program; summative assessment is done at the end to judge overall outcomes.

A priority population is chosen by magnitude of the problem, severity, feasibility of change, and community readiness.

Data triangulation uses multiple sources or methods to strengthen confidence in a needs assessment conclusion.

A goal is broad and long-term; objectives are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART).

Three objective types: cognitive (knowledge), affective (attitudes, beliefs, values), and psychomotor (skills, behaviors).

A behavioral objective names the learner, the action verb, the conditions, the criterion, and the time frame.

Logic models link inputs, activities, outputs, and outcomes; outputs count what was delivered, outcomes describe change.

Intervention mapping aligns theory-based methods with practical strategies matched to each determinant.

The health belief model, transtheoretical model, social cognitive theory, and PRECEDE-PROCEED are common planning frameworks.

A planning committee should include representatives of the priority population, stakeholders, and content experts.

Budget planning distinguishes direct costs from indirect costs and fixed costs from variable costs.

Implementation translates the intervention plan into action: who delivers what, to whom, when, and where.

Pilot testing identifies problems in content, format, and logistics before full-scale delivery.

Fidelity is the degree to which a program is delivered as designed; adaptations should be documented and planned.

Participant recruitment strategies include provider referral, community gatekeepers, media, and incentives.

Train-the-trainer models extend reach but require standardized curricula and trainer competency checks.

Barriers to implementation include cost, transportation, literacy level, language, and scheduling conflicts.

A program protocol should specify session content, duration, materials, and facilitator qualifications.

Documentation during delivery (attendance, session logs, deviations) supplies data for process evaluation.

Evaluation types: formative (process), summative (outcome and impact), and cost analysis (cost-benefit, cost-effectiveness).

Process evaluation measures reach, dose delivered, dose received, fidelity, and participant satisfaction.

Outcome evaluation measures change in knowledge, attitudes, skills, or behavior; impact evaluation measures health status change.

Internal validity is threatened by history, maturation, testing, instrumentation, selection, and attrition.

A randomized controlled trial gives the strongest causal evidence; a one-group pretest-posttest design is weakest.

Effect size quantifies the magnitude of change, independent of statistical significance.

Reliability concerns consistency of measurement; validity concerns whether a measure captures the intended construct.

Cost-effectiveness analysis expresses results as cost per unit of health outcome, such as cost per life-year gained.

Quantitative designs test hypotheses with numbers; qualitative designs explore meaning, experience, and context.

Study designs ranked by causal strength: systematic review/meta-analysis, RCT, cohort, case-control, cross-sectional, case report.

A null hypothesis states no difference or no association; the alternative hypothesis states the expected relationship.

p < 0.05 means the observed result would occur by chance less than 5% of the time if the null hypothesis were true.

A type I error rejects a true null hypothesis (false positive); a type II error fails to reject a false null hypothesis (false negative).

Statistical power is the probability of detecting a real effect; it increases with sample size and effect size.

Informed consent, IRB review, confidentiality, and voluntary participation are core research protections.

Evidence hierarchies favor synthesized, controlled evidence over anecdotal or expert opinion alone.

Advocacy influences policy, systems, and decision-makers; it differs from education, which informs individuals.

Levels of advocacy: self-advocacy, peer advocacy, community advocacy, and legislative or policy advocacy.

Media advocacy frames an issue for public and policymaker audiences using news, social media, and earned media.

A policy brief states the problem, presents evidence, and recommends a specific, actionable solution.

Coalitions and partnerships amplify advocacy capacity through shared resources and constituencies.

Grassroots advocacy mobilizes community members; grasstops advocacy engages influential elites.

Health educators must distinguish advocacy from lobbying when using public or grant funds.

Advocacy evaluation tracks policy change, decision-maker engagement, media coverage, and coalition strength.

Health literacy is the capacity to obtain, process, and understand basic health information to make decisions.

Plain language targets roughly a sixth- to eighth-grade reading level and uses short sentences and active voice.

The communication channel should match the audience: face-to-face, print, broadcast, digital, or social media.

Health belief model constructs relevant to message design: perceived susceptibility, severity, benefits, barriers, and self-efficacy.

The diffusion of innovations model classifies adopters as innovators, early adopters, early majority, late majority, and laggards.

Cultural competence in communication means adapting language, imagery, and messengers to the audience's culture.

Teach-back confirms comprehension by asking the learner to explain the content in their own words.

Risk communication principles: be first, be right, be credible, express empathy, promote action, and show respect.

Management functions: planning, organizing, staffing, directing, coordinating, reporting, and budgeting.

Span of control is the number of subordinates a manager directly supervises.

Line-item, program, and zero-based budgeting are distinct approaches to allocating program funds.

A logic model's inputs include staff, funding, facilities, and partners; activities are what the program does.

Grant management requires needs statement, objectives, methods, evaluation plan, budget, and timeline alignment.

Human resource tasks include job descriptions, recruitment, orientation, supervision, and performance appraisal.

Risk management identifies liability, safety, and compliance exposures and sets mitigation steps.

Program sustainability planning seeks diversified funding, institutionalized partnerships, and embedded policy support.

Core ethical principles: autonomy, beneficence, nonmaleficence, justice, and fidelity.

Informed consent requires disclosure, comprehension, voluntariness, and competence to decide.

Confidentiality protects information from unauthorized disclosure; privacy is the person's control over access.

The IRB reviews research involving human subjects for risk, consent, and equitable subject selection.

Dual relationships create risk when a professional role overlaps with a personal, financial, or familial role.

A conflict of interest exists when personal interest could bias professional judgment; it must be disclosed and managed.

The Code of Ethics for the health education profession addresses responsibility to the public, employers, and the profession.

Ethical decision-making models identify the problem, gather facts, weigh principles, choose, act, and reflect.

Leadership styles include transformational, transactional, servant, situational, and laissez-faire.

Transformational leadership uses idealized influence, inspirational motivation, intellectual stimulation, and individualized consideration.

Situational leadership matches style (directing, coaching, supporting, delegating) to follower readiness.

Servant leadership prioritizes follower needs and community benefit over the leader's authority.

Emotional intelligence components: self-awareness, self-regulation, motivation, empathy, and social skill.

Change management follows stages such as unfreezing, moving, and refreezing, and addresses resistance explicitly.

Team development stages: forming, storming, norming, performing, and adjourning.

Shared or distributed leadership spreads responsibility across roles rather than concentrating it in one person.

Continuing education maintains competence and is often required for certification renewal.

Professional certification (such as CHES or MCHES) is a voluntary credential; licensure is a legal requirement.

Scope of practice defines the boundaries of what a professional is competent and authorized to do.

Credentialing bodies verify education, examination, and continuing education for certification maintenance.

Professional associations provide standards, advocacy, networking, and continuing education opportunities.

Evidence-based practice integrates best available evidence, professional expertise, and client values and preferences.

Reflective practice and supervision support ongoing professional growth and quality improvement.

Interprofessional collaboration improves coordination and outcomes across health and education settings.