Marketing Health Educators to Employers: Survey Findings, Interpretations, and Considerations for the Profession

Health Educators in State/Local Public Health Departments: Training Needs and Awareness of Emerging Areas of Public Health Practice

Although great progress has been made to define the field of health education and provide a voluntary certification system for professionals, research about the governmental health educator and health education specialist workforce is limited. The 2017 PH WINS (Public Health Workforce Interests and Needs Survey) provides valuable data on understanding the workforce demographics, attitudes, and training needs of governmental public health workers, including health educators, and informs future investments in workforce development efforts nationally. The purpose of this article is to examine demographics, job engagement and satisfaction, training needs, certification, and other characteristics of health educators and certified health education specialists (CHES®) from PH WINS. We analyzed the data to describe the health educator workforce and compared it with the national governmental workforce across a range of variables. Compared with the national 2017 PH WINS sample, health educators were relatively younger, more ethnically diverse, more likely to be educated with an advanced degree, and were predominately employed in local versus state public health agencies. Health educators sampled were significantly more knowledgeable of all public health concepts compared with the national 2017 PH WINS respondent workforce. Comparison of CHES® versus non-CHES® professionals is also provided, along with practice and policy implications based on the data. This is the first detailed analyses of health educators in state and local health departments, with important findings and implications related to workforce composition, satisfaction, retention, and training. Further cross-sectional workforce research is needed to understand the current strengths and gaps in the health education workforce.

Health Educator Perspectives on Seeking Medicaid Reimbursement in Indiana

Health education is a growing field. However, there is confusion about the role delineation of health education specialists (HES) and other health education (HE) providers. Additionally, recent reimbursement opportunities allow employers to bill for HE services but offer confusing language regarding eligible service-providing professionals. This study surveyed health educators in Indiana to assess knowledge, attitudes, and perceived abilities to bill Medicaid and other insurers for HE services. Using a cross-sectional research design, an original 22-item Web-based questionnaire was developed and distributed to all Certified Health Education Specialist/Master Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES/MCHES) practitioners residing in Indiana. Additional respondents were recruited using a snowball technique, as original respondents asked to share the survey with colleagues. A final data set of 61 respondents was analyzed. All respondents' organizations provided HE services, with the majority indicating they do not charge and do not bill for HE services. Additionally, 60% of the respondents agreed that HES should be reimbursed for services, and the vast majority believed reimbursement to be important for the field. With recent reimbursement opportunities for HE and preventative health services, it is important that HES advocate for the profession and for potential reimbursement opportunities, such as Medicaid, to enhance the field and support HES jobs.

Differences in Health Education Competencies Among Obesity Prevention and Nutrition Education Professionals

The study purpose was to examine perceived health education competencies among those responsible for planning, implementing, and evaluating health education programs. A total of 172 obesity prevention and nutrition education professionals in the United States completed a survey measuring their perceived competency to plan, implement, and evaluate nutrition education/obesity prevention education programs based on the National Commission for Health Education Credentialing health education competencies and their endorsement of various health education approaches. Using a series of multiple hierarchical regression models, we found that those trained in health education had greater perceived competency in assessing needs ( B = 1.19, t = 2.11, p = .03), planning health education programs ( B = 1.63, t = 2.96, p = .004), implementing health education programs ( B = 1.00, t = 2.22, p = .03), evaluating health education programs ( B = 4.85, t = 3.54, p = .001), and managing health education programs ( B = 1.70, t = 2.21, p = .03) than those trained in nutrition or dietetics. Additionally, those trained in health education were more likely to endorse the use of a skill-based approach to obesity prevention ( B = 0.25, t = 2.53, p = .01) and less likely to endorse teaching facts and information ( B = 0.24, t = 1.99, p = .05) than those trained in nutrition or dietetics. These results have implications for improving the effectiveness of health education and promotion programs and the professional preparation of health educators and dietitians alike.

A Qualitative Analysis of Health Education Practice in Applied Work Settings

Job analysis projects play a critical role in the health education profession by validating what is constant in the profession and identifying emerging patterns of effective practice. In this regard, the Role Delineation Project, Competencies Update Project (CUP), and Health Educator Job Analysis Project (HEJA) have provided frameworks for the accreditation of professional preparation programs, credentialing, and continuing education of health education specialists. To date, projects (CUP, HEJA, and Health Education Specialist Practice Analysis) have revalidated the framework to help describe the contemporary practice of health education specialists. Evidence is lacking regarding exactly how the frameworks have been integrated into applied practice and what guides the practice of health educators. In context of the Areas of Responsibility for health education specialists, the purpose of this qualitative study was to examine the gap between the "state of the art" and the "state of the practice" among health education practitioners in a range of workplace settings. Data were collected through structured interviews and analyzed for emergent themes. Major themes included the use of formal and informal assessment methods, program-specific planning materials and implementation strategies, supplemental materials for planning and conveying information, and the influence and work with organizations. Based on the emergent themes, the gaps between the "state of the art" and the "state of the practice" were described, with suggestions for advancing the profession.

The National Health Educator Job Analysis 2010: process and outcomes

The National Health Educator Job Analysis 2010 was conducted to update the competencies model for entry- and advanced-level health educators. Qualitative and quantitative methods were used. Structured interviews, focus groups, and a modified Delphi technique were implemented to engage 59 health educators from diverse work settings and experience levels in a seven-step instrument development process. An online survey was then completed by 1,022 practicing health educators. Survey participants used 4-point ordinal scales to rank subcompetencies by frequency of use and importance and related knowledge items by cognitive levels based on the Revised Bloom's Taxonomy. Composite scores were calculated and subgroup comparisons conducted to validate 223 subcompetencies at entry (162), advanced-1 (42), and advanced-2 (19) levels of practice, along with 113 knowledge items. Advanced-level versus entry-level competencies and a comparison with the Competency Update Project model of 2006 are discussed. Implications and recommendations for the profession are provided.