Evidence-Based Health Education: Program Analysis and Recommendations

This essay delves into the realm of evidence-based health education, emphasizing its significance in public health initiatives. It commences by defining evidence-based education and its application to health, highlighting the importance of such programs through specific examples and research findings. The paper then explores the potential risks associated with non-evidence-based programs, contrasting them with the benefits of a research-backed approach. A central focus is the application of Nation et al.'s criteria, which are used to analyze a specific teaching resource, identifying both its strengths and weaknesses in terms of evidence-based features. The essay provides recommendations for enhancing the evidence base of health education programs, alongside practical suggestions for improving teaching practices. The analysis encompasses a detailed examination of the chosen resource, its alignment with evidence-based principles, and suggestions for improvement, ultimately aiming to promote effective and impactful health education strategies. The essay concludes by reiterating the value of evidence-based methods for successful health interventions.

Running Head: HEALTH EDUCATION
EVIDENCE BASED HEALTH EDUCATION
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author’s Note

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Introduction
Evidence based education is the optimum use of scientific studies that are useful for
effective education. It is an accurate form of education method that has been proven positive for
the welfare of the students and educators (Inman et al., 2011). Evidence based health education
is one of the aspects of this education method that is used in public health sectors for several
issues such as youth violence, drug abuse, delinquency and other such issues that requires
effective preventive strategies. There are proven scientific methods that are useful for preventing
certain issues and for educating a wider public. Health education should aim to ‘do no harm’ and
the evidence base of any health education teaching resource should be effective in giving a
positive outcome for the people involved (Cook, 2014). This paper will discuss the importance of
evidence based health education, potential risk of using non-evidence based research programs,
features of an evidence based program and identification of a teaching resource that has evidence
based features and features that are not relevant. It will also have recommendations for
improving programs that are evidence based and teaching plans.
Main Body
Evidence Based Education also helps in analysing the useful techniques to utilize for
training and instructing people about programs. These programs are used for preventing certain
issues that is harmful for people on a larger scale. This type of education is based on facts and
not irrelevant data, which is beneficial for the reliability and validity of such program (Gorard,
See & Siddiqui, 2017).
Healthcare providers are working together to identify effective programs for schools that
will play a positive role in the enhancement of public health of the society (Archer et al., 2015).

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Healthy People 2020 has taken initiatives for the welfare of the people in terms of health and
wellbeing. It also plans frameworks for healthcare providers to use them to enhance healthy
outcomes by decreasing disparities in health. Schools initiate programs that are for the welfare of
the students and the youth through the help of evidence based educational programs that target
the wellbeing of health (Archer et al., 2015).
According to Becker, Spirito & Vanmali (2016), evidence based health education has
been an essential component in the academic field due to the rising demands of people for
guidance and training. It is important to bring in practice especially in the field of health because
youth is vulnerable to several issues such as sexually transmitted diseases, mental and emotional
distress, susceptible to injury, tobacco and substance abuse, physical inactivity and unhealthy
dietary consumption due to the easy availability of fast food. Involvement of faculty and
teachings staffs in schools for evidence based health programs is getting popular due to the
discovery of new programs and efficient techniques in the field of educational health prevention
programs. A study by Inman et al., (2011) suggests that a number of programs have taken place
for health promotion through evidence based education plans such as Reducing the Risk, and Be
Proud! Be Responsible! A Safer Sex Curriculum for preventing early pregnancy and sexually
transmitted diseases, Families and Schools Together (FAST), The Incredible Years: Parent,
Teacher, Child Training Series and Primary Project for the welfare of mental and emotional
health, Safe Block Project, Safe n Sound, and Think First for Kids (TFFK) are some injury
prevention programs. Some school based programs for tobacco and substance abuse were known
as Protecting you/Protecting Me, Life Skills Training and Project ALERT. Few school based
programs for exercise and health was CATCH (Coordinated Approach to Child Health) and

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TAKE 10! for children between the age of 8-13. All these programs showed positive outcome
after the results were evaluated (Inman et al., 2011).
The potential risks of non-evidence based programs are considered when planning health
education programs because it has negative effect on the students attending the program as seen
from the abstinence based programs in United States (Breytenbach et al., 2017) The risk includes
the effect of inadequate information or the information that has errors. The tools and techniques
used in an evidence based education program will be more accurate than non-evidence based
programs. This is because this program has no reliability or validity. The target population will
be at risk of not achieving the required success rate in attaining health awareness. The topic for
the program is the foundation of an evidence based health education but in a non-evidence based
health education the planning will not be sufficient for the prevention of any such issue
(Breytenbach et al., 2017). Several aspect needs to be considered in an evidence based program,
however, in a non-evidence based program there is no guarantee of an action plan or the
prediction of any positive outcome. Evidence based education that is focused on health has fixed
policies, which is a strong point in a health awareness program. The non-evidence based program
has less reliability or validity when compared to an evidence based program as it is not as
effective. An evidence based health education program has accurate interventions that are related
to environmental and contextual determinants of health that are specific to the behaviour and risk
associated with an individual but in a non-evidence based program all these necessary factors are
missing that can lead to inaccurate and insufficient education plans for the target group. A non-
evidence based health education is irrelevant to the topic and not useful for the current policy and
practice contexts (Nathan et al., 2016).

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The features that comprise evidence based programs according to Nation et al. (2003),
are designed to help in increasing the efficacy of the program and it includes comprehensive,
varied teaching methods, sufficient dosage, theory driven, positive relationships, appropriately
timed, socio-culturally relevant, outcome evaluation, and well trained staff (Ablah et al. 2014).
The first component known as Comprehensive, it provides a range of interventions to address the
mediators or precursors of the target problem in a health education. The two essential dimensions
in this component is multiple interventions and multiple settings that helps in providing a smooth
intervention to all the evidence based education that aims on doing no harm. The problem
behaviors plays an essential role in the implementation of this component in an evidence based
program. The second component is Varied Teaching Methods that allows including active, skills
based component in the interventions for preventive programs. It is comprised of interactive
instruction and gives a direct experience that will enhance the skills of a participant. The
development of skills is necessary and the nature of the skills should be adaptive to the target
behaviour. It provides an effective solution to the root cause of the problem through the evidence
based health education program. The third component is Sufficient Dosage that enables a
participant to be exposed to several interventions that will be of some effect. It increases the
intensity of the program and it will be measured in quality and quantity of contact hours (Oakes,
Maier & Daniel, 2017). Dosage in an evidence based health education program is related to the
number of sessions, the length of a session, intervals between sessions and the length of the total
program. The fourth component is Theory Driven and it demands a scientific justification for any
type of preventive interventions and it examines the theory that surrounds an intervention plan.
This component has two theories known as etiological theories and intervention theories, which
is the basis of research. The fifth component is Positive Relationships that provides the basis of

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building strong relationships in children that will enhance their performance in school as well as
family related occasions. It helps in improving parent-child relationship including the relation
with peers, community members and teachers, which ensures effective awareness about health
(Rimer, Glanz & Rasband, 2001). The sixth component is Appropriately Timed, which says that
the intervention should be implemented in the correct time of a child’s life when they are
prepared for the change. The time that will have maximum impact needs to be selected for any
interventions for a preventive health program. The timing of a prevention program should be
focused on the changeable precursor behaviors that occurs before the prevention of maximum
problem behavior. The seventh component is Socioculturally Relevant and it says that the
prevention programs should be aligned with the cultural specific norms and beliefs and practices
of the target population. The health education program should be culturally appropriate so that it
becomes relevant to the target group as well as the problem behavior. A variety of dimension has
to be considered such as local community norms and the linguistic modifications for the success
of an evidence based health education program. The eighth component is Outcome Evaluation
that is the evaluation of the effectiveness of a program that will clearly define the positives and
negatives of an intervention. It removes the misconceptions regarding the success or the failure
of any program that has been implemented to increase health education (Hou, 2014). The last
component is Well trained Staff that signifies that an accurate research based program with high
quality resources can be unsuccessful if the people implementing is inexperienced, poorly
selected or trained and proceeded without any supervision. The quality of the program is
enhanced or degraded due to the performance of the staff implementing it. These 9
characteristics are found in the teaching resource known as Refresh ED as seen from the teaching
techniques utilized.

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The teaching resource to be analysed is the Food and Nutrition Teaching Resources
(Refresh ED, 2020) as it is a teaching based curriculum program that focuses on reducing the
health issues in children from the area of Western Australia. When the program was evaluated it
was seen that it impacted on the unhealthy dietary intake of children in schools such as fast food
and soft drinks. The evidence based practice in this program is that it provides teaching materials
and aids for teachers who are a part of health education. This program was founded in 2013 and
it looks after the health and wellbeing of children who are vulnerable to ill health (Refresh ED,
2020).
The recommendations for an effective health education plan includes using trial and error
method, focus groups, preference of the participants in an education program including their
linguistic and cultural requirements and basically giving importance to the target population and
the problem behaviour. Certain types of intervention programs should be initiated to know about
the efficiency of evidence based education (Kyriakoulis et al., 2016).
Conclusion
As a concluding note, the use of evidence based education programs should be
implemented for successful interventions. The implementations of teaching should be identified
so that the efficacy is increased and enhanced for the target population that helps in eradicating
the problem behaviour.

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