The Dimensions of Health
Education Literature
An Evaluation of Published Health
Education Research
(2000–2005)
Examples of Information Sources
Magazines
Professional Journals
Newspapers
Internet Based
Information
Types of Information Sources
 Primary Sources
Written by people who actually conducted the data collection
or had first hand experience
 Refereed journals publish information only after that
information has been reviewed by peers
 Secondary Sources
 Written by someone who was not present at the data
gathering or did not participate as part of the study team
 Value is that it provides a summary of many sources of
information and provides a bibliography of original sources
 Can also be found in refereed journals
 Popular Press Publications
 Newspapers
 Magazines
 Tabloids

Identifying the Components of a
Research Article
 Abstract
 Introduction
 Methodology
 Results
 Discussion
Critically Reading a Research Article
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Were the aims of the study defined in a clear manner?
Were the research questions/hypotheses clearly stated?
Was the description of the subjects clear?
Did the article state how the subjects were recruited?
Were the design and location of the study described clearly?
Were the data collection instruments described?
Did the results directly address the research
questions/hypotheses?
 Were the conclusions logical in terms of the research design
and data analyses performed?
 Were the study implications meaningful to the population you
serve?
Evaluating the Accuracy of NonResearch-Based Sources
 What are the author’s qualifications?
 What is the style of presentation?
 Scientific writing?
 Generalities?
 Testimonials?
 Are references included?
 What is the purpose of the publication?
 Biases
 What is the reputation of the publication?
 Is the information new?
 Is the information reliable
 Is the information valid?
Professional Health Education Journals
Print
OnLine
American Journal of Health Behavior
Yes
Yes
American Journal of Health Education
Yes
Yes
American Journal of Health Promotion
Yes
No
American Journal of Health Studies
No
Yes
Health Promotion Practice
No
Yes
International Quarterly of Community Health Education
No
No
Journal of School Health
Yes
Yes
Health Education Research
No
Yes
Health Promotion International
No
Yes
Health Education & Behavior
No
Yes
International Electronic Journal of Health Education
No
Yes
Promotion and Education
Yes
No
Journal/Availability at CSUN
Indexes
 Indexes are books that provide a link to articles of a
category of interest from many refereed journals,
books and research reports
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Example: Index Medicus lists articles relating to clinical
and preventive medicine and does not include
references to social science articles
The list of journals that are included in the index are
found in the front pages of each volume
Many indexes are now on CD-ROM
 Users begin by looking up a topic of interest in the
index (e.g., health behavior)
Example of Using Index Medicus
 Looking up “health behavior”
 Two sample citations come up
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
The transitional model of change and HIV
prevention: a review. Prochaska JO. Et al.
Health Educ Q 1995 May; 22(2): 190-200 (48
ref)
Self-esteem and the value of health as
determinants of adolescent health behavior.
Torres R. et al. J Adolesc Health 1995 Jan;
16(1): 60-83. (43 ref).
Other Health Education Related
Indices
 Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied
Health Literature
 Education Index
 Physical Education Index
 Current Index to Journals in Education
Abstracts
 Abstracts are book volumes that include short
summaries of research studies that have
appeared in other journals
 An abstract is usually more valuable than an
index in that an abstract provides both a
reference and a summary for each article
included.
Using Abstracts
 Locate the index at the end of each volume
 You can such by both subject or author
 Find the subject or author you are interested in, and
look at the titles of the articles listed under that
subject/author heading
 At the end of each article reference there is a number
 G0 to the volume of the abstract that includes that
number (the numbers included in each volume are
listed on the outside binding of the volume
 Turn to the number of the article you are interested in
and locate the desired article abstract
A Sample Abstract #34782 from
Psychological Abstracts
34782. Fleury, Julie. (U of North Carolina, School of Nursing, Chapel
Hill) The application of motivational theory to cardiovascular risk
reduction. IMAGE: Journal of Nursing Scholarship, 1992(Fall), Vol
24(3), 229-239. The level of motivation sustained by an individual
has been identified as a primary predictor of success in
sustained cardiovascular risk factor modification efforts. This
article reviews the primary motivational theories that have been
used to explain and predict cardiovascular risk reduction.
Specifically, the application of the Health Belief Model, Health
Promotion Model, Theory of Reasoned Action, Theory of
Planned Behavior and Self-efficacy Theory to the initiation and
maintenance of cardiovascular health behavior is addressed.
The implication of these theories for the development of nursing
interventions as well as new directions for nursing research and
practice in the study of individual motivation in health behavior
change are discussed.
Abstracts Most Commonly Used by
Health Educators
 Psychological Abstracts
 Sociological Abstracts
 Biological Abstracts
 Recourses in Education
Computerized Databases
 An alternative to searching indexes or
abstracts manually
 Like an index or abstract, each database has
a general subject area that it covers
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Education
Medicine
Psychology
The Power of Computerized Databases
 Provides access to the cumulative information
found in several index or abstract sources
 Faster than manual searches
 User can link several concepts together to
narrow the search
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A user can link two terms such as health
behavior and cardiovascular disease by using
the word “and” between the terms
Eliminating any article that only address one
or the other of these topics
ERIC
ERIC: Health Behavior
1,762 hits
ERIC: Health Behavior and Cardiovascular
Disease
26 hits
Computerized Databases
 Educational Resources Information Center
(ERIC)
 MEDLINE
 Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied
Health Literature (CINAHL)
 BIOETHICSLINE
 Psychological Abstracts (PsychLit)
 Health Services, Technology, Administration
and Research (Health-STAR)
The Internet and the World Wide Web:
Evaluating Information
 Content
 Authority
 Publisher-source
 References
 Documentation
 Facts
Example of Internet Information
Another Example of Internet
Information
The Kind of Articles You Will Find
 A total of 2610 articles were reviewed.
 52% of these articles were research reports
with an identifiable content focus,
 28% dealt with the practice of health
education (including planning and process
evaluation research),
 11% represented theoretical discussions and
 9% were reviews of the literature.
Content Distribution
Emotional Intellecutal
Health, 5% Health, 3%
Spirtual
Health, 1%
Social
Health, 12%
Physical
Health, 79%
The General Goal of Health Education
To improve the health knowledge and
attitudes of individuals and thereby promote
personal behaviors that will lead to optimal
health and wellness or high levels of
functioning in all of the various dimensions of
health*
[*Butler J. Principles of Health Education and Health Promotion, 3rd ed. Belmont, CA:
Wadsworth, 2001.]
Beliefs About the Nature of Health
 Health is typically defined in the literature as being
multidimensional,
 This requires a balance among such elements as
physical health, emotional health, intellectual health,
social health and spiritual health*
 Further, these dimensions are considered to be
dynamic in as much as the status of one dimension
will often influence the condition of another**
[*Cottrell RR, Girvan JT, McKenzie JF. Principles and Foundations of Health Promotion and Education, 2nd ed.
San Francisco, CA: Benjamin Cummings, 2002.]
[**Butler J. Principles of Health Education and Health Promotion, 3rd ed. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth, 2001.]
The Ultimate Function of Health
It is argued that health is functional
primarily for its usefulness in the pursuit
of higher aims, rather than merely as an
end in itself*
[*Read DA. Health Education: A Cognitive-Behavioral Approach. Boston, MA: Jones and Bartlett,
1997.]
A Philosophical Inconsistency
 For the most part the health education literature
ignores the multidisciplinary nature of health
 And, emphasizes physical health to the detriment of
all other aspects of health
 This is in direct contradiction with health education’s
definition of health
 The dynamic nature of health cannot be fully
appreciated since there is no way to take into
account the impact of each component of health on
one another
Inconsistencies in Theory and Practice
 The national health objectives for most developed
nations (e.g. Healthy People 2010), continue to
revolve almost exclusively around the prevention and
treatment of physical illness.
 We now have firm evidence that the mind and body, far from
being separate, are intimately interwoven.
 There truly are many dimensions of health that interact with
each other.
 It is therefore less effective, if not negligent, to research and
promote physical health without simultaneously addressing the
‘duality’ of other dimensions of health in a truly integrative
fashion.
[USDHHS. Healthy People 2010. Washington, DC: US Department of Health and Human Services, 2000]
Barriers to Promoting Multidimensional
Wellness
1.
2.
3.
Physical health is tangible, understandable, measurable
and objective—and it is therefore easy to target (blood
pressure, blood lipid profiles, morbidity and mortality
rates, energy expenditure, body mass index, etc.).
A second barrier is the ambiguity of dealing with
dimensions of health that have not achieved a
consensus definition, are less tangible and seemingly
immeasurable.
Finally, there is a reluctance to step into politically
charged arenas as the promotion of spirituality
Overcoming Barriers
 Pursue organized efforts to clearly define the various
dimensions of health in a way that builds consensus.
 Place pressure on the crafters of national health
objectives to develop objectives that represent a
dynamic, multidimensional view of health.
 Increase local control over resource allocation that
might include intervention and evaluation priorities
that target nonphysical dimensions of health.
 A willingness to commit time and energy to designing,
implementing and evaluating the impact of programs
that target various nonphysical dimensions of health
What is a Professional Article
 Professional articles are written for a
particular audience of professionals in a given
field (or sub-field).
 These articles are usually technical in nature
and follow a range of formats typical of
publications in the field.
Assessing Health Literature
 In a nutshell, when assessing accuracy,
consider the following:
 Is the information based on scientific
evidence?
 Is the information supported by data?
 Is the original source referenced?
 Do other sources substantiate the
information?
 Is the information current?
Red Flags to Watch Out For
 The information is anonymous
 There is a conflict of interest
 The information is one-sided or biased
 The information is outdated
 There is a claim of a miracle or secret cure
 No evidence is cited
 The grammar is poor and words are
misspelled