Spiritual_Wellness_Holistic_Health_and_the_Practic

Health Education as Freeing 203
condition constitutes a health defect only in the absolute sense. When viewed in relation
to his value system, it represents a logical concomitant to his particular pattern of
good health. (p. 114)
In the health education model being proposed here, since the individual is
responsible for choosing a health - related behavior, the value system is more likely
to be a part of that decision than if someone else made the decision for the
individual.
The objectives of this new health education are concerned with enslaving factors.
Some of these factors are described below. Some objectives pertain to the
development of skills, others to the acquisition of knowledge, and still others to
understanding derived through introspection. The goal is to help the client either
eliminate these factors from influencing behavior, diminish their effect, or have
them surface so the client can freely and knowingly allow them to influence
behavior.
1. Poor self - esteem is associated with many health - related behaviors and should be
improved. People who don ’ t think well of themselves cannot be expected to have
confidence in their own decisions and can be expected to be unduly influenced
by others.
2. Alienation consists of social isolation, normlessness, and powerlessness. Social
isolation is a lack of significant others in which one can confide. Normlessness
is a lack of rules, regulations, and standards that one can choose to live by.
Powerlessness is a feeling of not being in control of one ’ s own destiny. Alienation,
like self - esteem, is related to many decisions. People cannot freely make decisions
if, for instance, they have high powerlessness since they would not believe
those decisions were important to their lives.
3. Most people are influenced by others in some way and health educators should
be able to show others the effect of peer group pressure in their lives. The needs
derived from peer status, such as friendship, respect, etc., should be discussed
and their importance analyzed by each client. The realization of the influence of
peer group pressure and status in decisions made by each participant will lead
to a more conscious influence. That is, it is hoped that awareness will lead to the
ability to spot the pressure when it occurs and then to decide, consciously, to
allow or not allow it to affect behavior.
4. Values clarification activities have gone far to help people develop values that
make sense to them and to act more consistently with these values. Since a
lack of understanding of one ’ s value system could be expected to result in confused
or inconsistent behavior health educators should concern themselves with
this topic.
5. Health knowledge is necessary, though not a sufficient factor, to make decisions
which are most appropriate for oneself.