David A. Birch

Toward a Unified System of Accreditation for Professional Preparation in Health Education: Final Report of the National Task Force on Accreditation in Health Education

During the past 40 years, health education has taken significant steps toward improving quality assurance in professional preparation through individual certification and program approval and accreditation. Although the profession has begun to embrace individual certification, program accreditation in health education has been neither uniformly available nor universally accepted by institutions of higher education. To further strengthen professional preparation in health education, the Society for Public Health Education (SOPHE) and the American Association for Health Education (AAHE) established the National Task Force on Accreditation in Health Education in 2001. The 3-year Task Force was charged with developing a detailed plan for a coordinated accreditation system for undergraduate and graduate programs in health education. This article summarizes the Task Force’s findings and recommendations, which have been approved by the SOPHE and AAHE boards, and, if implemented, promise to lay the foundation for the highest quality professional preparation and practice in health education.

Are Kids Too Busy? Early Adolescents' Perceptions of Discretionary Activities, Overscheduling, and Stress

BACKGROUNDnThe activity patterns of children, especially after-school patterns, are receiving more professional attention. However, evidence regarding the value of various activities in childrens lives is contradictory. The purpose of this study was to assess perceptions of discretionary activities, overscheduling, and levels of stress from adolescents perspective.nnnMETHODSnA sample of 882 children, ages 9 to 13, recruited at 9 health education centers in the United States was selected for this study. Children answered questionnaires using remote, handheld devices. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and multivariate logistic regression. The outcomes of interest were activity-based stress and desire for more free time.nnnRESULTSnThe primary predictor for the desire for more free time was hours of screen time (television, computer, video games): those who reported 3 or more hours were nearly 3 times more likely to desire more free time. Further, children who chose their own activities experienced more activity-related stress than those who shared decisions with parents. The single greatest predictor of activity-related stress was the reported number of hours spent on homework. Students who averaged at least 2 hours on homework per night were nearly twice as likely to report frequent activity-related stress.nnnCONCLUSIONnParents of school-aged children should assess activity-related stress and the degree to which children perceive they are busy. Teachers, school counselors, and school administrators should be aware of these perceptions as they are making decisions regarding school schedules and should teach personal skills such as time management and stress control.

Strengthening Quality Assurance in Health Education: Recent Milestones and Future Directions

The health education profession has a lengthy history of efforts to assure the quality of health education professional preparation and practice. These initiatives to improve the value and accountability of health education are not only beneficial to current practitioners and faculty but also to consumers, students, employers, other professional colleagues, and numerous other stakeholders. This article describes the movement during the last decade to further strengthen quality assurance in health education, including current credentialing mechanisms for individuals and academic programs, the efforts of three national accreditation task forces, and the 2006 Third National Congress for Institutions Preparing Health Educators (Dallas II). Post—Dallas II activities related to program accreditation and approval and individual certification are presented as well as future directions for the health education workforce.

Progress and Directions in Professional Credentialing for Health Education in the United States

This article provides an update on initiatives in individual certification and accreditation of academic programs in public/community health education and school health education in the United States. Although we provide some historical context, the focus primarily addresses credentialing efforts that have evolved since the Galway Consensus Conference was convened in 2008 and publication of the Galway Consensus and related manuscripts in 2009. Significant progress has been achieved in updating the health education competencies for entry and advanced levels of practice, as well as in establishing a Master Certified Health Education Specialist designation. Also discussed are contemporary initiatives to expand and improve the accreditation process of academic programs and the evolving higher education contexts in which such systems operate. We conclude by presenting lessons learned from the U.S. experience with credentialing efforts and by offering recommendations that may be applicable to future quality assurance efforts, both in the United States and abroad.

Effects of a Single-Lesson Tobacco Prevention Curriculum on Knowledge, Skill Identification and Smoking Intention.

One in five students report experimenting with tobacco before the age of 13 and most prevention efforts take place in the school setting. This study measures the effect of a single-lesson tobacco prevention curriculum, conducted by a health education center, focusing on knowledge of tobacco, ability to identify refusal techniques, and intent not to smoke. Data were collected, via electronic keypads, from students visiting a non-school, health education center in Michigan (n = 704 intervention and 85 comparison). Contingency table Chi-squared tests and t-tests demonstrated that a single lesson can improve general knowledge and ability to identify appropriate refusal techniques. Improvement in intent not to smoke was not significant because both groups had very high intent prior to implementation. Similar to results from other programs, multivariate logistic regression of gender, general knowledge, and skill identification revealed that only the skill variable was associated with intent not to smoke at pretest. Recommendations are given for further research and for designing more effective curricula or programs.

Perceptions of Tobacco Use in Early Adolescents

In an effort to strengthen tobacco use prevention programs, this study explores early (9- to 13-year-old) adolescent motivations for and perceptions of use. Data were collected, via electronic keypads, from students visiting 12 health education centers in the U.S. (N=1433). Multivariate logistic regression showed that perceptions of frequent peer tobacco use and popularity of adolescent smoking, in addition to absence of family discussion of tobacco use, were associated with greater likelihood for smoking and of reporting past smoking. Even though most participants thought adolescents who smoke are very unpopular, more than 60% said the primary reason for adolescent smoking was that smokers believe it will make them popular. Participants thought the best way to prevent use was to give kids “other fun things to do instead.” Recommendations are given for customizing curricula or programs.Editors’ Strategic Implications: These promising findings, based on cross-sectional data, make an argument for earlier tobacco use prevention efforts. Prevention researchers, more broadly, should look at the innovative and promising method of using centralized remote computer keypads for data collection.

Overweight in Children: The Perspectives of 9-13 Year Olds.

Abstract Children and adolescents in the United States are increasingly overweight at younger ages. Many studies have investigated the issue from the perspective of professionals and other adults. This study assessed early adolescents perceptions regarding the magnitude of, effects of, causes of, solutions for, and learning preferences related to overweight. Data were obtained from 1,168 students, grades four to eight, who visited nine health education centers. Data were collected anonymously via electronic keypads. Analyses were based on multivariate and nominal logistic regressions. The majority of students believed childhood overweight is a problem (52%), and thought overweight is primarily caused by (55%) and can be addressed through (68%) nutrition and exercise. Most preferred to learn through doing (joining an active group or cooking demos, 43%) instead of listening (school lessons, 8%). Further, most (60%) perceived that overweight children and adolescents have a more difficult time making friends. Girls were more likely to report that they were worried about their weight (AOR=2.9, CI=1.6-3.8; p=0.00), have been spoken to about their weight (AOR=2.0, CI=1.6-2.7; p=0.00), and have tried to lose weight (AOR=1.8x, CI=1.4-2.5; p<0.01). Students who perceived themselves to be about the right weight were more likely than those who described themselves as underweight to say they have tried to lose weight (AOR=2.3, CI=1.6-3.3; p=0.00). Recommendations are given to assist health educators in developing programs that address overweight among early adolescents.

Current Status and Future Plans for Undergraduate Public/Community Health Education Program Accreditation

Abstract Background: Quality assurance in health education professional preparation has long been a goal of the profession. A comprehensive coordinated accreditation process for graduate and undergraduate health education has been recommended. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine the current status of, and future plans for, accreditation/approval of professional preparation programs in community health education. Methods: A web-based survey was sent to 93 programs chairs or coordinators listed in American Association for Health Education (AAHE) Program Directory of Institutes offering Undergraduate and Graduate Degree Programs in Health Education. Results: Fiftyeight programs responded yielding a 62% response rate. Sixty-two percent (n=33) of programs noted they would seek accreditation when CEPH accreditation of free-standing undergraduate programs becomes available. Seventy-nine percent (n=45) reported their administration was highly supportive or somewhat supportive of accreditation. Discussion: Results indicate that universities surveyed were supportive of accreditation and that professional preparation programs will move to obtain accreditation at the undergraduate level when available. Translation to Health Education Practice: Accessible education and technical assistance programs should be implemented to facilitate accreditation initiatives.

Improving Schools, Improving School Health Education, Improving Public Health: The Role of SOPHE Members.

The reciprocal relationship between health and education has garnered increased attention among public health professionals. The evidence is clear that the level of an individual’s education is related to health outcomes in adulthood and that healthier children are more likely to be academically successful than those with health issues. Unpacking and examining various aspects of this relationship is the focus of my 2017 SOHE Presidential Address. The three specific purposes of the presentation are to (a) understand the reciprocal relationship between education and health, (b) understand the characteristics of quality schools and quality school health education, and (c) to review strategies designed to activate school improvement as a public health strategy. In order to examine the relationship, I will address the relationship of social determinants and social justice to the quality of education with special attention to the impact of poverty. In addition, I will present possible reasons behind the linkage of higher educational attainment to better health outcomes, and the impact of health challenges on academic success for school-age children and youth. Finally, I will present characteristics of quality schools including considerations related to quality school health education programs. I conclude the presentation by presenting 11 specific actions for school improvement for consideration by SOPHE members and other public health professionals.

Understanding Department and Institutional Culture: An Important Responsibility for Department Chairs

Abstract Understanding the culture of the department and university community is an essential task for department chairs. Important elements of this culture include history; traditions; core values; aspirations; strategic plans; faculty teaching and research interests; organizational structure; policy; governance; and perceptions of the department held by students, faculty, and others. In this article, sources of information are presented along with strategies intended to enable a chair to develop and maintain an understanding of the culture.