Class Education for Health

The Health Education course unit lies at the intersection of education, health, and well-being promotion, providing frameworks for understanding the factors that influence health and for developing educational interventions in different contexts. It addresses the social, economic, and behavioural determinants of health, disease prevention, the promotion of healthy lifestyles, and health communication and literacy, with particular attention to the school context. The course recognises schools as key settings for health promotion, participation, and the development of skills for informed decision-making. Within the study programme, it contributes to a critical understanding of the relationships between education and health and to the development of analytical, planning, and communication skills required to design educational strategies and resources suited to different audiences and contexts.

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PC1. Introduction to Health Education 1.1 Definition and importance of Health Education 1.2 Principles and approaches to Health Education 1.3 Historical development of Health Education PC2. Determinants of Health 2.1 Social, economic, and behavioural determinants of health PC3. Disease Prevention and Promotion of Healthy Lifestyles 3.1 Prevalence and incidence of the main non-communicable chronic diseases 3.2 Main strategies for preventing non-communicable chronic diseases: general recommendations for physical activity and healthy eating 3.3 Programmes for promoting healthy lifestyles PC4. Health Promotion in Schools 4.1 The role of schools in health promotion 4.2 School-based health promotion programmes and strategies PC5. Health Communication and Education 5.1 Health communication strategies for different age groups 5.2 Development and design of health education materials

The course unit integrates active learning methodologies aimed at applying knowledge to real-life situations and problems in health education and promotion. Case- and problem-based learning is used to analyse health determinants, risk situations, and health promotion programmes, fostering evidence-informed decision-making. Practical and simulated activities enable students to plan and implement health promotion strategies suited to different audiences and contexts. Collaborative research and the design of educational materials promote the mobilisation of scientific knowledge, health literacy, creativity, and audience-appropriate communication. Peer analysis and discussion, complemented by formative feedback from the lecturer, foster critical reflection, self-regulation, and continuous improvement of learning.

Inchley, J., Currie, D., Young, T., Samdal, O., Torsheim, T., Augustson, L., et al. (Eds.). (2016). Growing up unequal: Gender and socioeconomic differences in young people's health and well-being. Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) study: International report from the 2013/2014 survey. World Health Organization Regional Office for Europe. Parvanta, C. F., Nelson, D. E., Parvanta, S. A., & Harner, R. N. (2018). Essentials of public health communication. Jones & Bartlett Learning. Pelicioni, M. C. F., & Mialhe, F. L. (2019). Educação e promoção da saúde: Teoria e prática (2.ª ed.). Santos. Silva, M. (2018). Educação para a saúde. Lidel. Simovska, V., & Mannix McNamara, P. (Eds.). (2018). Schools for health and sustainability: Theory, research and practice. Springer. World Health Organization. (2009). Global health risks: Mortality and burden of disease attributable to selected major risks. World Health Organization.