Professional Philosophy of Health
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My professional philosophy of health defines my mission as a health educator and influences my focus in improving the health of all populations. In order to improve the quality of life for individuals as well as communities, my goal is to provide them with the tools, education and advocacy needed.
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Personally, this health philosophy guides my compassion in closing the gaps in health disparities in all communities regardless of cultural beliefs, norms or values. Personal experiences in extensive global travel, living abroad, volunteer experiences and personal faith, all influence how I view the world. Strong mentors such as my father, university faculty, professional superiors, and social and professional networks provide the method and behavior skills that build leadership and define personal and professional ethics. These experiences and role models have helped me to understand that health is not a moral subject. As a health educator, I desire to provide the skills needed to achieve goals to overall wellness and help build environments free of bias and respectful of all cultures living in the community.
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Health is interdependent and comprehensive of physical, mental, emotional, social, intellectual and spiritual dimensions. Balance between these dimensions should be maintained to lead to optimal wellness and reduce risk factors. This balance can be achieved when evidence-based models and theories are used to assess, plan and implement change in communities that lead to adoption of healthier behaviors. Therefore, I believe in the value of being an active advocate for influencing environmental, community, intrapersonal and interpersonal factors that help individuals and communities make informed decisions that reduce risks and protect health. Informed decision-making enables awareness in a population while education and providing the resources needed for change give people the tools they need to maintain health.
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Appropriate environments and education serve as needs to good health. Assessment, statistics, research and community feedback provide a solid basis in identifying barriers that hinder whole health and wellness. I place great value in providing improvement and seeking solutions to these barriers. Examining modifiable risk factors in lifestyle choices and environmental factors assists in identifying health disparities. Thus, influencing positive personal choices and eliminating environmental concerns will result in sustained change in health for the individual and community.
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Health involves a teaching-learning process encompassing knowledge, facts, skills, attitudes and motivation. Health is maintained through learning to take action in health decisions and practicing primary prevention. This is achieved through setting obtainable goals and objectives that support lifestyle and actions through learned health behaviors. These goals and objectives lead to implementation of health education programs resulting in community and policy change. Economic revision channels movement within the population to learn new skills to improve health and become mindful of lifestyle factors.
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The foundation of health educators’ work is to ensure evidence-based factors and theories are consistently used. This foundation is obtained through assessing the priority population, setting goals and objectives, planning health education programs, implementation of programs and evaluation which are all proven systematic processes. My personal and professional desire is to strive for successful outcomes of health interventions and assist all populations in improving and maintaining health and wellness.
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This aforementioned professional philosophy of health defines my goals as a health educator and is consistent with my desire to improve health outcomes for current and future generations. I believe every human has the right to a healthy lifestyle and the freedom to make health-conscious choices with respect to cultural norms, values or beliefs.
