Ever since I was young I have always known that I would pursue some sort of career in helping others. I come from a background where both my mother and sister are exceptional members of the medical field. In the interest of medicine, I began my educational journey as an undergraduate in biology. I wanted to follow in the footsteps of my mother and sister, but quickly realized that biology was not the correct path for me. It wasn’t until my 2nd year of college that I was fortuitously introduced to the field of health science. Once I familiarized myself with the subject and its curriculum, I fell in love with the role of public health and immediately knew that community health science was exactly the branch of knowledge I wanted to pursue.
I was initially drawn to public health for its honorable objectives. More specifically, professionals of public health aim to prevent the spread of disease and injury by promoting healthy behavior. While public health professionals have always been a valuable resource, the emergence of COVID-19 and the global health pandemic have made public health professionals vital to the health and wellness of the overall mass population.
If I could change one aspect of public health it would be to dismantle the health disparities that disproportionately affect certain members of the community. There are a wide array of factors, known as social determinants, that negatively contribute to various health outcomes based on the environment in which an individual is born into. Social determinants might include one’s availability of resources, one's access to educational and job opportunities, one’s access to health care services, or one’s socioeconomic conditions (Healthy People, 2022). As a result, many health disparities are driven by social and economic inequities. For example, when comparing African American and White statistics, there is a continuous pattern of African Americans being much more susceptible to complications and disease such as maternal mortality, infant mortality, heart disease, diabetes, and cancer. Social factors such as the ones listed prior, have the largest impact on these conditions. Because the majority of people living in poverty or with a low socioeconomic status are minorities, consequently minority health suffers the greatest among all races.
I think that reformation in this area of public health is vital to the overall health of our community. In fact, the goal of public health in itself is to achieve health equity which is the opportunity for every individual to “attain his or her full health potential”(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2021). Personally, I believe that all people should be given equal opportunity to lead happy and healthy lives. As a public health official I plan to assess the issue of minority health services by assessing the needs of these populations and implementing programs that will help assist minorities in getting the quality of care that they need and deserve.
To me health education is an outlet to positively impact millions of people. I say this because there is extreme power in knowledge. If more people had access to simple information regarding health recommendations we could slowly cease the spread of disease and increase health confidence among many. The more people know and understand the nature of disease and illness within the body, the more aware they can become about corresponding factors to poor health and avoid these as such.
The significance of health education is invaluable. Health education programs empower individuals to live healthier lives and seek help when necessary. For those living with chronic illness, basic health knowledge could be the distinction that separates life and death. Many people undermine the value of knowing, when in reality knowledge is among the important aspects of life.
Health education is a tool that is used to implement healthy practices in favor of the greater good of populations/communities. The purpose of health education is to encourage healthy behavior and positively influence attitudes regarding healthy practices. Health education in public health allows professionals to design resources and implement programs based on the educational needs of the prospective population. Its benefits are endless. Not only does health education have the power to alleviate and pacify conditions, it is also a platform for community. Individuals, no matter their health status, can use health education as a resource to find peers enduring similar experiences and get in touch with their communities.
As stated previously, the main role of health education in public health is to assist individuals in making healthier life choices. Thus, health education is essential as a means to disseminate wellness and enjoyment. Without access to such knowledge, individuals may live their lives occupying unhealthy habits, consequently shortening their lifespan or limiting the activities in which they can accomplish. Health education is not just a tool for the mind, it is a way of life designed to guarantee one’s most optimal health.
Health education should be a collective of information regarding topics such as mental health, sexual health, obesity, substance abuse, and the health of older adults. Though many of these subjects seem broad and incomprehensible, there are components of each that can be taught from the time the child is born. For example, health education does not need to be a collection of extensive lesson plans on difficult subject matter. Instead, health education should begin in a child's youth and progressively build as our bodies transition and grow.
At a young age we can teach our children things that they can comprehend such as the importance of eating fruits and vegetables, the importance of exercising daily, and the importance of a sufficient bedtime! As these children progress into teenagers and young adults it is critical to their overall well being that they receive education in sexual health. Being that education is a passage to prevention, cirriculum on sexual health can prevent masses of teens from sexual transmission infections, sex related diseases, and other mental complications that can be associated with having sex. Education should not end here. In fact, adulthood is the best time to learn about what patterns and diseases affect the older population so that individuals can combat symptoms of illness in its early stages.
References
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2021). Health Equity | CDC. Health Equity. https://www.cdc.gov/chronicdisease/healthequity/index.htm
Healthy People. (2022). Social Determinants of Health - Healthy People 2030 | health.gov. Social Determinants of Health. https://www.healthypeople.gov/2020/topics-objectives/topic/social-determinants-of-health