Publication
Indicators for health education in Scotland; summary of findings from the 1996 Health Education Population Survey (HEPS)
Conclusions
This report presents the baseline data for a set of indicators relevant tohealth education in Scotland which are concerned with knowledge, motivation,skills and behaviour. These indicators will continue to be monitored viasubsequent waves of HEPS.
Having obtained baseline data, appropriate targets can now be specified inan attempt to define what constitutes successful achievement over time. Thelimitations of this target setting exercise are recognised. First, there is apaucity of scientific methods for gauging precisely how much variation in theperformance indicators may be expected over time and how much change might beexpected as a result of particular actions. Second, it is difficult to assessthe specific contribution of health education initiatives to trends in healthrelated knowledge, motivations, skills and behaviours.
The baseline data from HEPS will contribute to the planning and developmentof future health education initiatives in Scotland by helping to identify areasof need where activities might be effectively directed and other areas wherethere is little scope for further change. For example, the baseline data showthat future actions might be focused in the following areas:
- Stroke prevention. Knowledge levels regarding stroke and preventivemeasures are much lower than for other diseases. In particular, there is lowawareness of the benefits of a reduced salt intake in controlling bloodpressure
- Motivation to improve diet and exercise levels. Compared to smokers,there are relatively high proportions of pre-contemplators among those with apoor diet and those who regard themselves as unfit. Moreover, there is lowpublic awareness of the recommended levels of daily fruit and vegetableconsumption, coupled with a relatively high prevalence of this behavioural riskfactor and a high proportion of the adult population attempting to make changesin their diet
- Smoking cessation skills. There is still quite a high proportion ofsmokers who are not sure about how to go about quitting
- Awareness of poisoning accidents among children under five. Thereare low levels of knowledge about poisonings as the main cause of seriousaccidental injury to children in the home
- Information on STDs. There is high demand for information aboutsexually transmitted diseases.
There is less scope for further change in the following areas:
- The role of lifestyle in disease prevention. The vast majority ofadults in Scotland feel they can take action to reduce their risk of gettingCHD, cancer and HIV/AIDS and realise the importance of giving up/cutting downsmoking, taking regular exercise, eating a healthy diet and controlling weight
- Fire prevention and smoke detectors. A high proportion of householdsclaim to have a working smoke detector in their home (although relatively fewhave any other forms of fire prevention such as extinguishers or fire blankets)
- HIV/AIDS education. There is a high level of awareness of theprincipal modes of HIV transmission.
It is interesting to note that the above three areas have all been the focusof intensive and long-term educational campaigns in Scotland.