Personal Philosophy of Health Education

Points Possible 20

Objective: The learner will complete a personal philosophy of health education worksheet
during class #1

The worksheet is designed to help you develop your OWN 1-2 page philosophy of health
education.

A philosophy (The American Heritage Dictionary, 1991, p. 931) is, “a system of

philosophical inquiry or demonstration into the nature of things; based on logical reasoning
rather than empirical methods; the critique and analysis of fundamental beliefs as they
come to be conceptualized and formulated; the synthesis of all learning; a basic theory;
viewpoint.
 PERSONAL PHILOSOPHY WORKSHEET
State your beliefs on the following:

Q1*What is health? (Circle the dimensions below that you feel represent health)

Physical
Social
Emotional
Financial
Environmental
Spiritual
Intellectual
Other(s): ________________________

Q2*What factors influence health? (What are examples of factors at the Individual, Relationship, and
Community Level that influence the aspects of health you identified above?)

-Individual Level Factor: Individual attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors significantly contribute to one’s
health.

-Relationship Level Factor: At the relationship level, social cues, peer-pressure, and nature-nurture ideals
influences one’s health.

-Community Level Factor: Environmental factors in communities significantly influence the health of the
whole community involved.

Q3*How do you measure “health”? (Given your definition of health and the factors that influence health,
what sorts of things should be measured to determine whether a person or community is healthy?)

Physical health can be measured by: height and weight (BMI), HbA1c levels
Social health can be measured by: number of healthy relationships, positive social interactions
Emotional health can be measured by: healthy coping mechanisms, stress-management strategies, positive
mind set
Financial health can be measured by: assets, savings, budgeting, fiscal planning
Environmental health can be measured by: pollution levels, environmental impact reports
Spiritual health can be measured by: religious affiliations, individual spiritual practices
Intellectual health can be measured by: IQ score, reading level, vocabulary, simple mathematics
Other(s): ________________________ health can be measured by:
Q4*How do you define Health Education? (Again, this is your definition of Health Education)

In my opinion, health education is many components that influence one another. For example, the first
step is to raise awareness of optimal health outcomes for all. Once you have established awareness, then
we can focus on solutions to improve that health status. Health education exists in many forms such as
information, resources, attitudes, beliefs, behaviors, awareness etc. By analyzing and utilizing these
aspects, we can promote health education to improve overall health outcomes toward individuals and
communities.

Q5*What should be included in health education? (Should the focus be on changing knowledge, attitudes,
behaviors, or skills (or a combination of one or more of these items)?)

I think a decent combination of knowledge, attitudes, behaviors and skills will significantly impact health
education. To improve health outcomes, we must bring awareness and address these aspects and they
undeniably influence one’s health status.

Q6 *For whom should health education be intended? (Do you think health education should be for
everyone, or a certain sub-population?)

I do think that health education should be for everyone as many individuals may benefit from it.
However, I strongly believe that certain demographics like marginalized ethnic/racial groups should be
prioritized since they do not receive quality healthcare, health services, resources, and optimal
environments as compared to their counterparts.

Q7*Why do you want to become a health educator/health professional? (Include the type of specific
profession to which you currently aspire)

I want to become a certified health education specialist to improve health outcomes for all. By teaching,
informing, learning, growing, and witnessing positive outcomes for individuals is very rewarding. I
believe everyone is entitled to optimal health in all aspects that seems important to each individual and by
guiding these individuals towards that is my passion.

Q8*What population do you want to target? Why? (e.g., Do you want to serve a specific age group and/or
specific racial/ethnic group?)

I would like to target a population that is found to be at a disadvantage. I want to help this population
because it is not fair that they do not receive equal opportunities, quality healthcare and services, etc.
Everyone is entitled to optimal health, no question about it. I do not have a specific demographic
population, however, as a Latino, I may identify and familiar with the Hispanic/Latino population. I do
want to emphasize that I do not want to limit myself to only this demographic because an important
quality to myself and others is presenting cultural humility as a health worker.
Q9*How will you address diversity within your learning environment? (What will you do to be a
culturally competent health educator/health professional?)

As previously mentioned, I always strive for cultural humility as a health education worker. It is very
important to me that individuals are comfortable and feel supported. I will do this by listening, asking
questions, understand their perspective, and always treat them with respect. I will always ask them what
else can I do to improve their experience.

References:

Prasad, S. J., Nair, P., Gadhvi, K., Barai, I., Danish, H. S., & Philip, A. B. (2016). Cultural humility:
treating the patient, not the illness. Medical education online, 21, 30908.
https://doi.org/10.3402/meo.v21.30908

Review the literature on health and health education to provide support for any beliefs stated. For
the submitted Philosophy, all sources should be cited within the text and in the Reference section
using APA-format. At least one reference is required.