Abstract
Health education and promotion have been gaining momentum since the 1930s when its role in illness prevention in America became apparent although it had been in existence before civilization in the form of trial-and-error and the use of herbs (Cottrell et al., 2015). During the period of Renaissance, society believed that disease was caused by sin. The focus during the 1930s was to mitigate the effect and spread of contagious illnesses by teaching proper sanitation techniques and finding ways to improve the healthcare system. With the rise of modern medicine and very high sanitation standards in the 1950s, the concern was no longer on communicable diseases but on cardiovascular, cancer, and other chronic lifestyle illnesses that crept into the population. Collaborating with the governments, health educators have designed programs through which the citizens are taught how to lead healthier lifestyles while making medical care accessible to all. Health education rose as a legitimate profession on its own with official recognition in 1997. The people who take up the profession are responsible for teaching society about the value of their health (Cottrell Et.al, 2015). This paper examines the transition of health education from infectious diseases to chronic illnesses.
Health promotion and education were always part of societies with strong civilizations. The primary contributors towards healthcare and knowledge in the United States were Europe and Northern Africa. For instance, the Egyptians had very strict sanitation standards, use of herbs to cure disease and even offered rudimentary vaccination. However, the health education we now know began to take form in the 18th century. Epidemics were highly prominent, and the job conditions of the working class were frequently unhealthy and unsafe (Cottrell et al., 2015). Therefore, it became evident that health education was an integral part of literacy and would help the students to understand more about their bodies and the importance of proper sanitation to avoid contracting diseases (Cottrell et al., 2015). It was, however, poorly understood and developed with no pedagogical systems in place to provide the educators with the right tools to teach the students. It was not until the 1930s that the importance of health education and its role was realized. Learners started to understand the variation in education concerning health and health promotion and education before they carried out any analysis. The first concept can be taught by anyone while health promotion can only be provided by a specialist.
The early man attempted to establish a rational explanation concerning why death and disease took place for no reason. He attributed the two aspects to magic spirits found in the air, trees, water, and earth. When the supernatural creatures were angered, they would result in punishing the offender through death and illnesses. Human beings thus sought to offer sacrifices to the magical forces, avoid their resting places, and conform to their rules. They also made charms and chants to protect themselves from epidemics. It is highly likely that during the period, individuals were appointed to provide education to the members of the community to avoid death and diseases. The medical practices even went ahead to be handed out from one generation to the next. The experts were turned to for medicine or information related to the well-being and health of the society (Cottrell et al., 2015).
The traditional strategy helped to form an understanding concerning the infectious diseases that struck people in the community. The eras were characterized by devastating plagues such as leprosy, an illness that led to extreme disfigurement. Communities issued edicts for those suffering from the disease so that they could be isolated and monitored to regulate its spread. Christianity reinforced the assumption that sin caused contagious illnesses. They even provided a holy representation of a Savior, who could cure the sick and raise the dead. The beliefs led people to cope with the epidemics in different ways. Some become extremely pious while other lost total faith in the Lord. The contagion paved the way for more discoveries and efforts to eliminate the perception of sin-related illnesses (Cottrell et al., 2015).
According to Cottrell et al., (2015), the rise of the modern sciences brought with it the end of communicable diseases like smallpox, measles, and tetanus that plagued the continent and wiped out the population. The development of vaccines for these ailments as well as the purification initiatives has almost eradicated such communicable diseases together the rise of sanitation standards facilitated by health educators/promoters. With the introduction of an evidence-based strategy to eliminate illnesses came the enactment of various policies that led to the foundation of the health system in the United States. The healthcare programs eradicated most of the contagious illnesses and quarantined others until antidotes were made. Unfortunately, a new plague has taken over the country with over 60% of the population being overweight due to the rise of cheap fast foods and the sedentary life the average American leads (Cottrell et al., 2015). Heart diseases, type II diabetes, cancers and other inflammatory diseases are the leading causes of death due to the unhealthy lifestyles. Malnutrition continues to kill people in developing countries (Cottrell et al., 2015). Programs such as Healthy People 2020 are evidence that the health education while still concerned with sanitation has a primary focus to achieve the promotion of health amongst individuals and eradicate chronic lifestyle diseases.
Focus has thus shifted from the communicable diseases to finding ways to mitigate lifestyle diseases. Health education and promotion are now aimed at ensuring that not only students but also other citizens adopt healthy lifestyles of exercise and a well-balanced diet as preventive measures. The educators also have a role in the three levels of prevention. Primary measures include actual preventive measures. The secondary measures involve teaching the importance for screening for early detection and possible reversions of the disease and successful treatment. Finally, in the tertiary strategies health educators provide adequate information to those living with the chronic conditions on how to manage the illnesses (Cottrell et al., 2015). Thus, health education and promotion prove to be a crucial part of any education system with the vital duty it plays in ensuring the health of a population. People should monitor their medical status and well-beings to ensure that they have comfortable lives. It is also the duty of all the stakeholders in the healthcare system such as the government, hospitals, and public officials to maintain the appropriate living conditions and eliminate chronic illnesses in the community.
References
Cottrell, R. R., Girvan, J. T., McKenzie, J. F., and Seabert, D. (2015). Principles and Foundations of Health Promotion and Education (6thed.). Boston: Pearson Education.
