by Grettel V.

Created on: March 18, 2008   Last Updated: April 24, 2008

I have no doubt that the future of health care and medicine is prevention. Prevention can be approached in different ways: avoiding the onset of diseases is one of them; it is called primary prevention and is probably the most significant. An important part of this kind of prevention is education. The best time to begin a health education program is as soon as possible, I mean, in elementary schools, and it should be continued throughout the school years, adapting to the learning possibilities at diverse ages.

This program must begin with a complete but at the same time simple approach to the human body, its structure and how it works; this should be the base of all health knowledge, it makes easy to understand any other concept. This part could cover different organs of the body, their functions, their interaction and the different processes that take place in our bodies as a whole. If this content is assumed in a simple and fun way, kids will love it.

Another information that cannot be left out is nutrition. If we look at the leading causes of death in America (heart disease, cancer, stroke, chronic lower respiratory diseases, accidents and diabetes), 4 out of 6 are related with poor nutritional habits. A good health education program must include facts about main nutrients, their functions, the consequences of their deficiency and the sources from which we can obtain them.

Let's look at the causes of death again. Chronic lower respiratory diseases and accidents are related with additions to nicotine, alcohol and drugs. The effects of these substances in our bodies should be included in the program along with advices on how to stay away from them.

Physical activity has to be discussed also as a significant part of well being, the several ways to stay active, the effects and benefits of exercise for health and the negative consequences of being sedentary.

A controversial topic in health care teaching is health sexual education. When it should start? I think that simple concepts could be taught at early ages, but the core of this instruction must be introduced when the human being is getting ready for this activity, I mean, during adolescence years. Teenagers are interested and must be taught about the possibility and disadvantages of getting pregnant at this age, the likelihood of getting a contagious disease during unprotected sex, the several ways of having sex besides complete intercourse, the methods to protect themselves. The more they know, the more protected they will be.

Many other topics could be covered. The human being is a complex entity where biologic, psychological and spiritual facts interact closely and a complete health care education program has to involve all that. The person in charge of these lessons has to think: who am I going to teach? and has to adapt the class to the audience, providing also audiovisual media. The success of this program resides in the conviction that a conscious knowledge is the best weapon to fight against diseases.

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