Concept of Health and Health Education

There are various components in environment such as living things and nonliving things, artificial objects and natural objects like mountain, rivers, trees, animals, plants, etc. The status of environment effects our health condition. The people who live in dirty environment are more likely to be catch by different diseases. So, the growth, maintenance and development of our body depends on the elements with which we interact. If the environment is clean and fresh the health status of people can be upgraded or we can obtain good health.

Health education provides knowledge on health related aspects and develops the altitude of people to maintain sound health. Environment education gives information on biological, physical and socio cultural aspects of environment education and motivates the people for the use of the resources in order to maintain ecological balance. Health, Population and environment education are integrated subject, has a crucial role for creating healthy living and balanced ecosystem.

Concept of Health

Many people regard health as the opposite of disease. But, to define health in this narrow perspective is to miss many points of its study. Health means to be free from any kind of illness. According to world health organization (WHO) Health is a state of complete physical, social and mental well-being and not merely the absence of disease of infirmity. It has focused on all the aspects of health. It encompasses physical fitness, mental alertness and social adaptability.

Physical Health: It means not to have any kind of disease in the body organs. This aspects of health focuses on the perfect body structure and proper functions of the body organs.

Mental Health: It refers to be free from stress, tension or depression. This aspects of health emphasizes the ability of making sound decision and judgments.

Social Health: It refers to the capacity of human beings to live as a social creature. An individual is an integral part of the society. His/ her capacity to adjust in the society is also a part of good health. It includes friendship, co-operation and leadership motive and so on.

Concept of Health Education

There are many factors that affect our health. It is our right to know about the health, factors affecting it and the instructions to attain positive health. The educational process that provides knowledge about these is called health education. Health education is a continuous process which we should follow in each and every steps of our life. Health education is concerned with establishing the changes in the knowledge, altitudes, and behavior of individual for their healthier life. Health education helps people to achieve good health through their own efforts.

Importance of Health education

Health education has been an important field. In developing countries like Nepal, India, Bhutan, many people are losing their life even of minor diseases. Many people still have faith in superstition and social orthodoxies. Health education, therefore should be given to wipe out such believes.

The importance of health education are given below:

1. Production of capable and efficient manpower: Without efficient manpower a country cannot progress. Health education helps to teach the people to follow the healthy habits like personal hygiene, exercise, rest, and balance diet. It helps to produce manpower with good physique and sound mind.
2. Reduction of mortality rate: Health education provides knowledge about balance diet, harmful consequences of early marriage, the ways to keep smart, the methods of being prevented from diseases and promoting efficiency. Such information helps to keep people healthy and reduce mortality rate.
3. Eradication of superstition beliefs: It is a great obstacles to maintain sound health. Illiteracy is the main causes of this social beliefs. They go to Dhami and Jhankri for checkup instead of going to hospital and medical. Health education makes people realize that the disease is not the curse of God.
4. Preservation of environment: Health education helps to maintain personal hygiene and environmental sanitation. It teaches people about the hazards of polluted environment because we can maintain our sound health if the environment where we live is clean. Thus, it helps to preserve the condition of health.
5. Attainment of positive health: The main objective of health education is to bring awareness in the matters related to health. It encourages people to follow hygienic and healthy habits and practices. It reduce mortality rate and other health hazards and helps to obtain positive health status.