NYSTCE Health Education key terms

The degree to which a person can obtain, process, and understand basic health information and services needed to make informed health decisions and follow through on them.

A framework describing what students should know and be able to do in health education, organized around functional knowledge and skill-based standards such as analyzing influences and accessing valid information.

Health content that is directly usable in real decisions and behaviors, rather than isolated facts; it supports skill practice and application to daily life.

An organized set of concepts explaining why people adopt or avoid health behaviors, used to design instruction and interventions that target specific determinants of behavior.

A theory holding that behavior change depends on perceived susceptibility, perceived severity, perceived benefits, perceived barriers, cues to action, and self-efficacy.

A stage-based model describing movement through precontemplation, contemplation, preparation, action, and maintenance, with relapse possible; interventions are matched to the person's current stage.

A theory emphasizing that behavior is shaped by personal, behavioral, and environmental factors interacting continuously, with observational learning and reinforcement as central mechanisms.

A person's belief in their own capability to perform a specific behavior successfully; it predicts effort, persistence, and likelihood of attempting a health behavior.

A collaborative, person-centered counseling style that uses open questions, reflective listening, and affirmation to strengthen a client's own reasons for change rather than confronting resistance.

Any action taken by a person that affects health, including preventive practices, risk behaviors, treatment adherence, and help-seeking; the outcome health education aims to influence.

A behavior that increases the likelihood of injury, disease, or other negative health outcomes, such as substance use, unprotected sex, or reckless driving.

A condition, skill, relationship, or resource that reduces the chance of a negative outcome and buffers the effect of risk, such as family support or school connectedness.

The capacity to adapt and recover after adversity, stress, or trauma; strengthened by supportive relationships, coping skills, and a sense of competence.

Learned communication strategies, such as saying no clearly, suggesting alternatives, and leaving a situation, used to resist pressure to engage in unhealthy behavior.

Influence from peers to conform to their attitudes or behaviors, which can be direct and verbal or indirect through modeling and social norms.

Perceived or actual standards of behavior within a group; correcting exaggerated misperceptions of peer behavior is a common prevention strategy.

A structured sequence of steps, such as identifying the problem, listing options, weighing consequences, choosing, and evaluating, taught to guide health-related choices.

The process of defining a specific, measurable, achievable objective and planning steps and timelines to reach it, often used to build health behavior change.

Communicating one's needs, opinions, and boundaries directly and respectfully while recognizing the rights of others, as distinguished from passive or aggressive communication.

The exchange of information, feelings, and meaning between people, including verbal and nonverbal elements such as listening, tone, and body language.

A process for addressing disagreement through communication, negotiation, and problem solving rather than aggression, aiming for outcomes acceptable to those involved.

Strategies used to manage stress and difficult emotions, such as deep breathing, physical activity, problem solving, seeking support, and cognitive reframing.

The body's physiological reaction to a demand or threat, involving activation of the sympathetic nervous system and release of hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline.

Knowledge and beliefs about mental disorders that aid recognition, management, and prevention, including knowing when and where to seek help and reducing stigma.

Negative labeling and social disapproval attached to a condition or group, which can discourage help-seeking and worsen outcomes for people with mental illness.

Actions taken to obtain assistance from formal or informal sources when facing a health or personal problem, influenced by knowledge, attitudes, and access.

An illness caused by a pathogen that can be transmitted from one person, animal, or surface to another, directly or through vectors, air, food, or water.

A model describing the sequence required for infection to spread: a pathogen, a reservoir, a portal of exit, a mode of transmission, a portal of entry, and a susceptible host.

Indirect protection of a population from a communicable disease when a sufficient proportion is immune, reducing transmission to those who cannot be vaccinated.

Administration of a preparation that stimulates an immune response and confers protection against a specific infectious disease without causing the disease itself.

Cleaning hands with soap and water or an alcohol-based sanitizer at key moments to remove or kill pathogens and interrupt transmission of communicable disease.

A condition that is long-lasting or persistent, often developing gradually, such as diabetes, heart disease, or asthma, frequently influenced by modifiable behaviors.

A characteristic or behavior that increases disease risk and can be changed, such as tobacco use, diet, physical inactivity, or alcohol consumption.

Recommendations for the amount and type of movement that supports health, commonly including moderate-to-vigorous aerobic activity and muscle-strengthening activities on multiple days each week.

A standardized panel on packaged food showing serving size, calories, and nutrient amounts, used to compare products and make informed food choices.

The amount of food a person chooses to eat at one time, which influences total energy intake and can be estimated with familiar visual references.

A diagnosable pattern of harmful use of a substance, involving impaired control, continued use despite consequences, and changes in brain function.

A chronic condition marked by compulsive engagement in a behavior or substance use despite harmful consequences, often involving tolerance and withdrawal.

Instruction that teaches functional knowledge alongside practice of health skills, using modeling, rehearsal, feedback, and real-life application rather than lecture alone.

An evaluation of learning at the end of a unit or course, used to judge achievement against standards, often through projects, performance tasks, or tests.

Ongoing checks of understanding during instruction that provide feedback to adjust teaching and learning before a final evaluation.

A task requiring students to demonstrate a skill or apply knowledge in a realistic context, scored with criteria such as a rubric.

Tailoring content, process, or product to students' readiness, interests, and learning needs so that all can meet the same learning goals.