HCSI 441                                                                                      Dr. Robert Huff

Objectives for Health Education and Health Promotion

There are four levels of objectives used in Health Education Programs:

1.   Administrative Objectives:     

Define an overall organizational goal that is to be achieved by a health agency. It is addressed by different segments of the agency and is the most global of the four levels. This level of objective cannot be accomplished by a health education program alone.

Example:     To decrease by 35% the number of cases of active tuberculosis in Los Angeles

                    County by June 30, 1996.

2.   Health Education Program Objectives:          

These objectives are written to accomplish an educational component of the administrative objective above. They are usually developed after the Program Focus portion of program planning and specify the magnitude and direction of the change, the target group, the specific geographic locale, the specific activity to be accomplished, and the time frame during which the objective will be accomplished.

Example:     To increase by ( specify # or %) the number of Latinos between 20 and 40 years

                    of age, in Canoga Park, who utilize TB diagnostic services offered by the L.A.

                    County Health Department by June 30, 1996.

3.   Health Education Target Group Objectives:

These objectives are more specific than the health education program objective above. In addition to magnitude, direction, target group, locale, and time frame, they identify the specific knowledge, attitudes and behaviors that the target group needs to possess after completing the health education program.

Knowledge:     To increase by (specify # or %) the number of Latinos between 20 and 40 years

                         of age, in Canoga Park, who possess appropriate knowledge about the

                        diagnostic services for TB available in Canoga Park by June 30, 1996.

Attitude:          To increase by (specify # or %) the number of Latinos between 20 and 40 years

                        of age, in Canoga Park, who possess appropriate attitudes relevant to obtaining

                       TB diagnostic services available in Canoga Park by June 30, 1996.

Behavior:        To increase by (specify # or %) the number of Latinos between 20 and 40 years

                        of age, in Canoga Park, who demonstrate appropriate behaviors necessary to

                        access and effectively utilize TB diagnostic services in Canoga Park by

                        June 30, 1996.

Formula for writing Health Education Program and Target Group Objectives:

To (increase/decrease) by (#, %, ratio) the number of (specify target group) residing in (specify locale) who (utilize/possess/demonstrate) appropriate (specify program activity or indicate knowledge, attitude, behavior) regarding (specify what is to be accomplished) by (specify a time frame).

4.   Health Education Learner Objectives:

These objectives specify exactly what the learner will be able to do during or by the completion of the health education program or some segment of it. They also can specify the standard of acceptance for accomplishment of the objective. There will generally be more than one learner objective for each of the target group objectives identified above.

Knowledge:      By the end of the program, 80% of the learners will be able to identify two

                          different techniques that are available in the community to diagnose TB.

Attitude:            By the end of the program (or During the program), 80% of the learners

                          will express at least one positive feeling about their personal need to

                          obtain a TB skin test.

Behavior:         By the end of the program, 80% of the learners will demonstrate the

                         ability to obtain an appointment for a TB skin test.

Formula for writing Learner Level Objectives:

By (specify when), (specify standard of acceptance) of the (learners, students or participants) will be able to (list, describe, express, demonstrate, etc.) (Specify what is to be accomplished).

Each level of objective, whether Administrative, Program, Target Group, or Learner must be measurable. Accomplishment of each level of objective is used to evaluate the achievement of the next higher level.