Page 178 - Cultural Competence in Health Education

156 Cultural Competence in Health Education and Health Promotion

Health communication can help individuals find other people who are in situa-
tions similar to theirs by encouraging them to attend group therapy or other meetings.
Group therapy, such as that offered through Alcoholics Anonymous, can help people
overcome obstacles by providing support. Having support when in a diffi cult situation
can enable a person to change her behavior and be less likely to slip back to where she
once was. Ultimately, it will reinforce a new attitude toward changing a behavior to a
healthier lifestyle. Group therapy is a very positive aspect of health communication.
Public health is constantly changing, which means the needs of individuals are

changing also. One community may need a specific service, whereas another commu-
nity may not. Communicating with individuals in a community can help health
specialists decide what services are needed and which are not. A poor and underserved
community may need assistance such as the WIC program in providing the young
children in the area with nutritional foods, whereas a privileged community may not
need such assistance. It is the responsibility of the health educator to serve as the

resource person in assisting individuals and groups to find the needed resources for
health promotion, health protection, and disease prevention.

COMMUNICATION AND COMMUNITY HEALTH
Community health refers to the health of a group of individuals with similar characteris-
tics, common values, and shared beliefs. Community health communication can be very
powerful when approached correctly. It has the ability to influence the public agenda,

advocate for policies and programs, promote positive changes in the community, improve
health care delivery services, and create supportive partnerships within the community.
As a community becomes more informed through health education, its members
begin to recognize the health - related problems occurring in the community. When the
goal is to bring changes to policies and programs, a community is much more powerful
than individuals alone. A community has the ability to make its public and commercial
buildings smoke free. However, it must get a majority of the community to agree with a
smoking ban in order to implement that change. The only way to change the minds of the
people on such a subject is to influence them through health communication. A strong

community is built by strong individuals; therefore, it is important to get through to the
individuals by using diffusion of innovation and mass communication theories. Among
the different ways to get a message across to a large population are news releases, radio
and TV commercials, newspapers, magazines, and advertisements.
Community health communication can also promote other positive changes in the
community, such as changes in the physical environment. Communicating to a popu-

lation about the benefits of exercise and well - being just may make people realize that
their environment does not provide easy access to exercise. Some communities do not
facilitate nonvehicular transportation. Successful community health education in this
area could promote a change of scenery. One contemporary example of such change is
building a bike path or sidewalks, which would enable people to transport themselves
in more vigorous ways. One of the ways health communication can translate into

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