Traditionally, health education and promotion have focused on
helping
people identify and eliminate “unhealthy” habits. The role of the
health
educator/promoter has been to provide information, motivation and
positive
reinforcement to “get people” to change. Unfortunately, there is
little evidence that even the best theory-based, health promotion
interventions
result in long-term change for the majority of people involved.
Furthermore,
these approaches often engender potentially iatrogenic consequences
that
may contribute to a decreased likelihood of change and a poorer quality
of life for some people. This workshop will: 1) question the
appropriateness
of behavior change as the primary goal of health education and
promotion
efforts, 2) introduce the rationale and benefits of substituting an
alternative
goal, and 3) explore the consequences for the role of the health
professional.
Facilitator:
Assistant Professor
Phone: (517) 507-0287
Fax: (517) 507-0265
e-mail: robisonj@msu.edu
www.jonrobison.net