Health promotion

This strategy will help students to:

  • formulate and share individual ideas through focused, short-term, purposeful talk with peers

  • develop the ability to filter and summarise information 

  • consider other points of view when making decisions.

Implementation

Students may undertake health promotion strategies in their school or community as part of an assessment task for a health education unit.

The five key areas of health promotion planning a student needs to consider include:

  • Needs assessment - Describe the target group, explore the health problem, analyse contributing factors, assess community resources. For example, research and analysis might discover that the age someone first has sexual intercourse is influenced by local cultural, religious factors and whether or not they are able to find a willing partner.

  • Setting goals and objectives - As well as being global statements, goals need to specify time, person, place and amount. For example, 'By the end of 2014, the number of students who binge drink at our school aged 15 to 17 years will have reduced by 10%'.

  • Selecting program components - Using limited reach media such as pamphlets, information sheets, newsletters, posters, stickers, caps, bags and other small merchandise, and videos. Students may also consider conducting smaller group strategies such as peer led discussions, role-plays, songs or video competitions.

  • Implementation - It may be appropriate to brief presenters, book venues, develop a time line. 

  • Evaluation - The most realistic type of evaluation for student-based health promotion is process evaluation which measures the activities of the program, program quality and whom it is reaching. This may be done by keeping records of how many people are involved in the program, conducting surveys and by observation. Impact evaluation measures the immediate effects of the program, i.e. does it meet its objectives?. This may be done by record keeping, surveys, focus groups, interviews and observations.

The following websites showcase Western Australian health promotion campaigns and may be useful for students to look at:
www.quitwa.com
www.cancerwa.asn.au
www.rsc.wa.gov.au