Health Education and Promotion
This section addresses the health-education strand of the MTEL Health/Family and Consumer Sciences (21) test: health literacy, prevention, behavior change, and the school’s role in student health. Expect items that ask you to choose an intervention that matches a student’s readiness, distinguish prevention levels, and apply a behavior-change model rather than simply recall a definition.
Prevention and behavior-change rules
- Primary prevention acts before disease or injury occurs (immunization, helmet laws, hand hygiene). Secondary prevention detects disease early (vision screening, blood pressure screening). Tertiary prevention limits disability after diagnosis (cardiac rehab, adapted physical activity).
- Transtheoretical Model: precontemplation, contemplation, preparation, action, maintenance. Match strategy to stage; giving a detailed action plan to a precontemplator usually fails.
- Health Belief Model: perceived susceptibility, severity, benefits, barriers, cues to action, self-efficacy.
- Chain of infection: pathogen, reservoir, portal of exit, mode of transmission, portal of entry, susceptible host. Break the chain at the most practical link.
Worked example
A 16-year-old says, “I know vaping is hurting my running, and I’m joining the quit program next week.” The student has moved past contemplation into preparation: there is intent and a near-term plan. The best next step is to rehearse the plan-set a quit date, identify triggers, remove devices, and arrange support-not to deliver a basic “vaping is bad” lesson. If the student were still saying, “I don’t see the point,” motivational interviewing would fit better than a directive plan.
Traps that cost marks
- Labeling screening as primary prevention.
- Assuming knowledge alone changes behavior.
- Mixing up self-efficacy (confidence in a specific behavior) with self-esteem.
- Overlooking confidentiality and mandated-reporting duties when a student discloses harm.