THURS-058 - Seize the Day: Charting the Future Course of the Health Education Profession

Brief Abstract Summary: Identify future challenges and opportunities in health education and to identify the role of professional organizations in meeting these needs. This study was conducted in two phases: 1) interviews with leaders from the Coalition of National Health Education Organizations and 2) a survey with CHES/MCHES. Using the interviews (n=12), thematic analysis informed a survey to rate specific U.S. challenges, opportunities, and roles of professional organizations. Survey results with CHES/MCHES (N=197) found addressing the social determinants of health received the highest importance rating for opportunities. Misinformation emerged as the most critical concern. Roles for professional organizations included providing tools and resources for rebuilding community trust and more affordable professional development opportunities. Among the priorities for the overall health education profession, collaborating with other professional organizations was rated as most important.

Detailed abstract description:

Background: The field of health education has continuously strengthened its research and practice over time to meet the changing needs and challenges of public health. Professional organizations play an important role in shaping the response to health and social needs in the field, as well as providing resources for health educational specialists to meet these challenges. This study aimed to identify future challenges and opportunities in the field of health education and to identify the role of professional organizations in meeting these needs.

Methods: This study was conducted in two phases: 1) interviews with leaders from the Coalition of National Health Education Organizations (CNHEO) and 2) a survey with Master or Certified Health Education Specialists (MCHES or CHES). In the first phase, leaders from 6 different CHNEO organizations participated in 30–45-minute interviews about most significant problems in public health and the future opportunities for the health education profession and its professional organizations to address these issues. Using the interviews (n=12), thematic analysis on each category was conducted to inform a survey to rate specific U.S. challenges, opportunities, and roles of professional organizations. To secure responses from those formally trained in health education, The online survey was then sent to a random sample of CHES/MCHES to rate each opportunity, challenge, and role via Likert scale (1=strongly disagree, 5=strongly agree).

Results: A total of 197 participants completed the survey. Among opportunities for health education to improve the public’s health, addressing the social determinants of health (SDOH) received the highest importance rating (M = 6.42, SD = 0.85), followed by advocacy at the local level (M = 6.30, SD = 1.07). Within the challenges category, misinformation emerged as the most critical concern (M = 6.64, SD = 0.71). Roles for professional organizations included providing tools and resources for rebuilding community trust (M = 6.36, SD = 0.91) and providing more affordable professional development opportunities (M = 6.21, SD = 1.10). Among the priorities for the overall health education profession, collaborating with other professional organizations (M = 6.15, SD = 1.12) and collaborating on advocacy efforts (M = 6.12, SD = 1.00) were rated as most important.

Discussion: Results highlight critical areas for professional organizations to help support the field and health education specialists in addressing their roles in improving the public’s health. This study had limitations in terms of the number of CHNEO organizational leaders who were interviewed and that only CHES/MCHES were surveyed. As the public health landscape continues to shift, results can inform future priorities and organizational goals for health education specialists and the profession.