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Ripple Effects matches health literacy standards
The
National Health Education Standards were developed by applying the characteristics
of a well-educated, literate person within the context of health. Health
literacy refers to the ability of individuals to obtain, interpret and
understand basic health information and services, and the competence
to use such information and services in ways which enhance health. According
to the formulators of the standards, there are four characteristics
of a health-literate person:
- being
a responsible member of society
- being
a self-directed learner
- being
an effective communicator
- critical
thinking
Being
a Responsible Member of Society
A
health-literate person realizes her/his obligation to:
Insure
that the community is kept healthy, safe, and secure so that all citizens
can experience a high quality of life.
Relevant
Relate topics include: safety (as a factor in decision
making) community (as partial source of identity,) violence, recklessness,
spreading STDs
Avoid
behaviors which pose a health or safety threat to themselves and/or
others or an undue burden to society.
Relevant
Relate topics include: recklessness, suicide, spreading
STDs, eating disorders, drugs, alcohol, tobacco, and evaluating alternatives
by using safety as one of the five key standards in making decisions
Apply
democratic and organizational principles in collaboration with others
to maintain and improve individual, family and community health.
Relevant
Relate topics include: group skills (including making space
for others, resolving conflict, participating in group discussions,)
exercising rights, confronting injustice.
Being a Self-directed Learner
A
health-literate person:
Has
a command of the dynamic health promotion and disease prevention knowledge
base.
Relevant Relate topics include: AIDS, STDs, diet, drugs,
alcohol, sleep, pregnancy.
Uses literacy, numeric skills and critical thinking skills to gather,
analyze and apply health information as his/her needs and priorities
change throughout life.
Relevant Relate elements include: logic, art and music
based activities, critical thinking exercises and skill building in
decision-making.
Applies
interpersonal and social skills in relationships to learn about and
from others, and mature toward a high-level health status.
The
entire Relate program is relevant to this standard,
including more than 300 role plays, and 300 practice opportunities
in situations involving friends and family.
Being an Effective Communicator
A
health-literate person:
Organizes
and conveys the beliefs, ideas, and information about health through
oral, written, artistic, graphic and technological media.
Relevant Ripple Effects for Teens activities include: journal,
art, music, and language interactive activities, and media analysis.
Creates a climate of understanding and concern for others by listening
carefully, responding thoughtfully, and presenting a supportive demeanor
which encourages others to express themselves.
Relevant Ripple Effects for Teens activities include: empathy training
in active listening, paraphrasing, use of body language, asking open
ended questions, showing respect, courtesy.
Advocates for positions, policies and programs that are in the best
interest of society and intended to enhance personal, family and community
health.
Relevant Ripple Effects for Teens activities include: training
in exercising rights, making a complaint, confronting injustice.
Critical Thinking
This
refers to the ability of a person to:
Identify
and creatively address health problems and issues at multiple levels,
ranging from personal to international.
Relevant Ripple Effects for Teens topics range from the interpersonal
through the interpersonal, to the wider community, including immigrant
issues.
Utilize
a variety of sources to access current, credible, and applicable
information required to make sound health-Related decisions.
Relevant Relate elements include decision making skills
and direct, within-program access to the World Wide Web, where research
information and links to community resources are updated regularly.
Understand
and apply principles of creative thinking along with models of decision
making and goal setting in a health promotion context.
Relevant Ripple Effects for Teens skill building elements include
brainstorming, goal setting, identifying areas of personal creativity.
The entire Ripple Effects for Teens program is built on a critical
thinking, problem solving mode. More than 320 "Challenge" scenarios, provide the starting point for those topics. The Brain,
journal model includes 1500 writing exercises designed around a
critical thinking process which includes: naming the problem, identifying
feelings connected to it, coming up with options, committing to
specific goals and identifying support people in the community who
can help.
Relate
and Health Framework
Specific
topics in the Relate program address the following list of topic
areas found in the National Health Frameworks: (the National
Health Framework is listed first, followed in parentheses by the relevant
Relate topic area.)
- Communication
Skills
(body language, introducing yourself, having a conversation, participating
in group discussion, inviting someone, expressing thanks, expressing
sympathy, giving and receiving compliments, making an apology, ignoring)
-
Community
(belonging skills, including group skills: dealing with authority,
joining a group, making space for others, giving and getting help,
resolving conflict, sharing, accessing community resources)
- Consumer
Health
(diet, money, drugs, exercise, making a complaint)
- Decision
Making
(identifying problems, brainstorming options, evaluating alternatives,
trying solutions and alternatives, problem solving)
- Disease
Prevention
(STDs, HIV, AIDS, chronic illness, diabetes, visual and hearing impairments)
- Drug
Prevention
(drugs by category and name, alcohol, alcoholism, tobacco, refusal
skills, decision making, predicting consequences)
- Ethnic
Groups
(religious diversity, racial diversity, ethnic and cultural differences,
community history, personal history)
- Fitness
(exercise, sports and exercise, self-image, posture, weight)
- Safety
(risky behavior, recklessness, violence, safety as factor in decision
making, bullies, gangs, weapons)
- Self-esteem
(self esteem, self-image, identity, self respect, self confidence)
- Sexuality
(sex, abstinence, sexual abuse - victim and offender rape - victim
and offender, birth control, condoms, pregnancy, personal values,
practicing sexual restraint, setting limits)
- Social
and Emotional Health (feelings: understanding of, awareness of,
managing, expressing)
- Stress
Management
(anxiety attacks, stress, pressure, relaxation techniques, self-talk)
- Goal
Setting
(setting goals, evaluating performance, contracts)
- Growth
and Development
(puberty, appearance, attachment objects, gender and cultural differences,
sexuality, menstruation, wet dreams, roles and role models, stereotypes,
beliefs)
- Nutrition
(body image, dieting, eating disorders, weight)
- Personal
Health
(appearance, sleep problems, body odor, puberty)
- Relationships
(family, friends, boyfriend/girlfriend, teacher, abuse, setting limits,
body image)
- Responsibility
(responsibility, accepting consequences, impulse control, reliability)
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