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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

2010 Health Education Job Analysis 2010 Update Role and Responsibilities of Health Education Specialists

 

Whitehall, PA -- The Society for Public Health Education (SOPHE), the American Association for Health Education (AAHE), and the National Commission for Health Education Credentialing, Inc. (NCHEC) are pleased to announce the findings of the Health Educator Job Analysis 2010 (HEJA-2010). The study results have implications for professional preparation, credentialing, and professional development of all health education specialists regardless of the setting in which they are employed.

HEJA-2010 was undertaken to validate the contemporary practice of entry- and advanced-level health education specialists; to guide the development of the Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES) and the newly announced Master Certified Health Education Specialist (MCHES) examinations; to report on changes in health education practice since the last major job analysis study more than 5 years ago; and to inform professional preparation and continuing education of health education specialists. The Professional Examination Service, a nonprofit credentialing and competency assurance organization, was contracted to complete the 18-month project. 

Based on extensive data gathered and analyzed through qualitative and quantitative methods from June 2008 to November 2009, a model of health education practice was updated, refined and validated. The updated model comprises 223 sub-competencies, organized into 39 competencies within 7 major areas of responsibility. Of the sub-competencies, 61 were validated as advanced-level only. 

These findings update the previous Competency Update Project (CUP), released by NCHEC, AAHE and SOPHE in 2006, which first provided a model of three levels of practice (entry, advanced 1, and advanced 2) with each subsequent level building upon the previous level(s). The latest findings reaffirm 7 major areas of responsibility for health education specialists; however, new and/or expanded competencies were identified related to ethics, partnerships, training, consultative relationships, influencing policy, promoting the health education profession, and other areas. 

Additionally, HEJA-2010 developed and empirically validated 113 specific types of knowledge, which is used at some cognitive level by health education specialists. Test specifications for the CHES and MCHES examinations were empirically derived based on the validated survey data. Test specifications are the recommended percentages of the CHES and MCHES examinations that should comprise questions from each area of responsibility and for each competency within each area of responsibility. The MCHES examination will be administered for the first time in October 2011.

Additionally, based on HEJA-2010 findings, the NCHEC, AAHE and SOPHE boards issued the following recommendations to the health education profession:

  1. Baccalaureate programs in health education should prepare their health education graduates to perform all 7 of the health education responsibilities, the 34 competencies, and the 162 sub-competencies specifically identified as Entry-level in the 2010 hierarchical model.
  2. NCHEC should use all 7 of the health education responsibilities, the 34 competencies, and the 162 sub-competencies specifically identified as Entry-level in the 2010 hierarchical model as the basis for revisions to its entry-level CHES examination.
  3. Graduate programs in health education should ensure the preparation of health education graduates to perform all 7 of the health education responsibilities, the 34 competencies, and the 223 sub-competencies (162 Entry-level and 61 Advanced-level) in the 2010 hierarchical model.
  4. NCHEC should use all 7 of the health education responsibilities, the 34 competencies, and the 223 subcompetencies (162 Entry-level and 61 Advanced-level) in the 2010 hierarchical model as the basis for the new advanced-level MCHES examination.
  5. All 7 of the health education responsibilities, the 34 competencies, and the 223 sub-competencies (162 Entry-level and 61 Advanced-level) in the 2010 hierarchical model should serve as the basis for development and continuing education in the health education profession.
  6. Accrediting agencies and approval bodies should be encouraged to recognize the HEJA-2010 areas of responsibility, competencies, and sub-competencies as the basis for quality assurance for health education professional preparation programs.

 

Findings from the HEJA-2010 report will be available in a document and broadly disseminated to the profession in the second quarter of 2010.

Further inquiries for information and access to products referenced above should be directed to the National Commission for Health Education Credentialing, Inc. at 1541 Alta Drive, Suite 303, Whitehall, PA 18052-5642; Phone (888) 624-3248; www.nchec.org

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Seven major areas of responsibility of health educators include: 1) Assess needs, assets, and capacity for Health Education; 2) plan health education; 3) implement health education; 4) conduct evaluation and research related to health education; 5) administer and manage health education; 6) serve as a health education resource person; and 7) communicate and advocate for health and health education. These responsibilities helped to guide the Standard Occupational Classification of Health Educators by the Department of Labor.

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Contact:
Melissa Rehrig
mrehrig@nchec.org
(888) 624-3248 ext 11

This press release is from AAHE

The vision of AAHPERD is "Healthy People – Physically Educated and Physically Active!" Headquartered in Reston, VA, 25 miles west of Washington, DC, AAHPERD is the largest organization of professionals involved in physical education, physical activity, dance, school health and sport--all specialties related to achieving an active, healthy lifestyle. Its mission is to advance professional practice and promote research related to health and physical education, physical activity, dance and sport by providing its members with a comprehensive and coordinated array of resources, support and programs to help practitioners improve their skills to further the health and well-being of the American public. For more information, visit www.aahperd.org.