RHP&EO is the electronic journal of the International Union for Health Promotion and Education

Education and Health Promotion: A Three Year University Programme

Marita Johanson, RN., Dipl. N. Ed., Ph.D

Vanersborg University College of Health and Caring Sciences. Vanersborg. Sweden.

In Sweden, the official political health discourse emphasises a multifactorial perspective. In this perspective health care cannot possibly have the whole responsibility for health in society. A holistic concept of health involves factors of psychological, social and economic factors but also of people's vital goals in life. This is also brought out in 'The new perspective on health', launched by Lalonde as well as the Ottawa Charter which are inspirational sources for the three year university programme 'Education and Health Promotion', at Vanersborg University College of Health and Caring Sciences. As we live in a changing world, flexibility and the ability to handle different life situations as well as the capacity to see how things interact - a sense of continuity - are valuable resources. The programme is designed to develop these resources so they can be applied and used in work as a health educationalist (today, the closest comparison .would be with a health counsellor or a health mediator). The programme aims to provide students with a broad and critical understanding of health issues with a focus at the individual, group, organisation and societal levels. It takes health as its point of departure and deal with health from a positive perspective. The theoretical foundation of the concept of health is based on the perspective of salutogenes and the complementary view of pathogens and is also highly influenced by Antonovsky's concept 'sense of coherence'. From an interactional perspective, the programme focuses on the human being and his/her living conditions and highlights the phenomenon of health. Education is the subject that forms the main body of the course by the virtue of the fact that it develops the capacity to communicate health questions. Participation and process are basic elements. Competence as regards communication, guidance and instruction are also important features. After having completed the programme, a 'health educationalist' will have knowledge of administering, organising and coordinating promotive health work in municipalities, companies and organisations and, among other things, be able to create the necessary conditions for interaction between local health work and research.

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