Professional development through planning for and/or participating in an accreditation/approval review.

The quality of delivery of health education services is connected to landmark events in the history of health education. Quality assurance is one type of professional development in which practicing health education specialists engage. This article presents the steps of an accreditation/approval process, brief overviews of the major accreditation/approval systems, and the opportunities within the accreditation/approval process for professional development.

Health Education Specialist Practice Analysis II 2020: Processes and Outcomes.

Introduction. The Health Education Specialist Practice Analysis II 2020 (HESPA II 2020) described the contemporary practice of health education specialists across work settings at entry and advanced levels. The purpose of the HESPA II 2020 manuscript was to report the research process and resulting data associated with the HESPA II 2020 and to provide recommendations for future practice analyses in health education. Method. Two data collection instruments were developed with the assistance of a 17-member Health Education Practice Panel to survey practicing health education specialists on the knowledge and skills needed in their ongoing roles. The instruments were designed to assess the degree to which the elements of the model had importance to practice (Importance), how often health education specialists performed the elements of the model (Frequency), and the point in time that health education specialists were expected to perform the various elements of the model (Performance Expectation). Composite scores for Sub-Competencies were calculated and subgroup comparisons were conducted to distinguish between levels of practice. Results. A total of 3,851 health education specialists provided usable responses. The final validated hierarchical model included eight Areas of Responsibility, 35 Competencies, and 193 Sub-Competencies. Of the Sub-Competencies, 114 were Entry level, 59 Advanced 1 level, and 20 Advanced 2 level. In addition, 145 knowledge items were verified. Discussion. HESPA II 2020 produced a validated hierarchical model descriptive of current practice of health education specialists across work settings. The results have implications for professional preparation, professional development, and certification.

A descriptive analysis of patient education courses in undergraduate and graduate health education programs.

Patient education is a necessary component of quality health care, yet little attention has been given to the preparation of health educators to work in that setting. This study seeks to determine the status of and content in patient education courses offered in professional preparation programs. Results show that 9% of respondents offered a patient education course in their academic unit, whereas 18% indicated that such a course was offered in another unit on campus. It appears there is not agreement between university faculty members and practicing patient educators on what should be taught in such a course. In addition, no significant relationship is found between (a) programs with accreditation or approval and offering a patient education course and (b) programs that prepared students for the Certified Health Education Specialist examination and offering a patient education course. Recommendations are offered for improving the preparation of health educators for the medical care setting.

Textbook writing: a form of professional development.

Health educators have an ethical obligation to participate in professional development. Such professional development can take many different forms including writing textbooks. This article provides a rationale why textbook writing is professional development, why professionals might take on the task of writing a textbook, how the process evolves, and how professionals who are not quite ready to write a book can prepare to do so in the future.

Enhancing promotional strategies within social marketing programs: use of Web 2.0 social media.

The second generation of Internet-based applications (i.e., Web 2.0), in which users control communication, holds promise to significantly enhance promotional efforts within social marketing campaigns. Web 2.0 applications can directly engage consumers in the creative process by both producing and distributing information through collaborative writing, content sharing, social networking, social bookmarking, and syndication. Web 2.0 can also enhance the power of viral marketing by increasing the speed at which consumers share experiences and opinions with progressively larger audiences. Because of the novelty and potential effectiveness of Web 2.0, social marketers may be enticed to prematurely incorporate related applications into promotional plans. However, as strategic issues such as priority audience preferences, selection of appropriate applications, tracking and evaluation, and related costs are carefully considered, Web 2.0 will expand to allow health promotion practitioners more direct access to consumers with less dependency on traditional communication channels.

Health Education Specialist Practice Analysis 2015 (HESPA 2015): Process and Outcomes.

The Health Education Specialist Practice Analysis 2015 (HESPA 2015) was conducted to update and validate the Areas of Responsibilities, Competencies, and Sub-competencies for Entry- and Advanced-Level Health Education Specialists. Two data collection instruments were developed-one was focused on Sub-competencies and the other on knowledge items related to the practice of health education. Instruments were administered to health education specialists (N = 3,152) using online survey methods. A total of 2,508 survey participants used 4-point ordinal scales to rank Sub-competencies by frequency of use and importance. The other 644 participants used the same 4-point frequency scale to rank related knowledge items. Composite scores for Sub-competencies were calculated and subgroup comparisons were conducted that resulted in the validation of 7 Areas of Responsibilities, 36 Competencies, and 258 Sub-competencies. Of the Sub-competencies, 141 were identified as Entry-level, 76 Advanced 1-level, and 41 Advanced 2-level. In addition, 131 knowledge items were verified. The HESPA 2015 findings are compared with the results of the Health Education Job Analysis 2010 and will be useful to those involved in professional preparation, continuing education, and employment of health education specialists.

Elementary students' sleep habits and teacher observations of sleep-related problems.

Sleep affects the health and well-being of children and plays a key role in preventing disease and injury, stability of mood, and ability to learn. Unfortunately, children often do not get adequate sleep on a regular basis. This study surveyed 199 fifth-grade students regarding their sleep habits using the Sleep Self-Report (SSR) instrument (child's form), the Morningness/Eveningness (M/E) Scale, and additional demographic questions. Students' teachers also were asked to evaluate their students' behavior using the Teacher's Daytime Sleepiness Questionnaire (TDSQ). Results indicated many students experienced problems with sleep-related behavior. However, correlating the TDSQ scale with the SSR Daytime Sleepiness Subscale produced a weak correlation coefficient, indicating teachers may not be able to accurately identify students with sleep problems. Overall findings indicated these students displayed sleep behavior similar to other US children. However, research involving children's sleep behavior is limited, and more research is needed. Parents should monitor their children's sleep times, and teachers need to be aware how sleep deprivation can affect children's mood, reaction time, and concentration. Health education curricula need to include sleep-related instruction at all grade levels to address this concern.

Building a community network for a cancer education/screening program: the process and lessons learned (or relearned).

Similar to many communities around the United States in the late 1990s, Muncie, Indiana, and the surrounding county created a year 2000 committee, called, "You and Year 2000, Inc.: The Muncie and Delaware County Millennium Project" to sponsor, plan, and conduct activities to celebrate the new millennium and ponder the community's past, present, and path to the future. Part of the Committee's planning was to create a legacy of the year-long celebration that would attack a community problem. Partnering with the local hospital, the Committee decided to attack the problem of cancer through a fund-raising campaign to build a cancer center and cancer education/screening program. The purpose of this article is to describe the application of a community organizing/building model used to create a community-wide cancer education/screening program and share the lessons learned (or relearned). The planning process used to develop the education/screening program is one that could be duplicated elsewhere.