This document discusses communication for health education. It defines communication as a two-way process of sharing ideas, feelings, and information between a sender and receiver. It identifies the key parts of the communication system as the sender, receiver, message, channel, and feedback. The document then discusses various types of communication channels, barriers to effective health communication, and the goals of health communication, including providing information, education, motivation, persuasion, counseling, and supporting health development and organization.

1. COMMUNICATION
FOR
HEALTH EDUCATION
.
Dr Lipilekha Patnaik
Professor, Community Medicine
Institute of Medical Sciences & SUM Hospital
Siksha ‘O’ Anusandhan deemed to be University,

2. COMMUNICATION
Communication is the two way process of
sharing or exchanging the ideas, feelings and
information.
The essential parts of communication system are
the communicator or sender, the communicate
or receiver, the message or content, the channel
and feed back.

3. Communication process
Awareness
Interest
Evaluation
Adoption
(behaviour change)
SENDER MESSAGE CHANNEL
RECEIVER

4. 1. Sender / Communicator
The sender is the originator of the message.
2. Receiver :
All communications must have an audience-which may
be controlled and uncontrolled. The more the control
or homogenous the audience the greater are the chances
of effective communication.
3. Message :
A message must be
• In lines with objectives
• Interesting , meaningful, based on felt needs, clear and
understandable, specific & accurate
• Timely and adequate, culturally and socially appropriate

5. 4) Channels of Communication :
It is the media between the sender and receiver
consisting of 3 medias :
• Interpersonal communication
• Mass media
• Traditional/Folk media
5) Feed Back :
It is the reaction of the audience to the
message. Feed back thus provides an
opportunity to the sender to modify his
message.

6. Types of Communication
1) One way communication (Didactic method) : Lecture
2) Two way communication (Socratic method):
Both the audience and communicator can take part. The
audience may raise questions, add their ideas ,opinions
to the subject.
3) Verbal Communication :
The traditional method of communication by word of
the mouth. May be loaded with hidden meanings. It is
persuasive.
4) Nonverbal Communication :
Bodily movements, postures, gestures, facial
expressions.

7. 5) Formal and Informal Communication :
Formal (follows lines of authority)
Informal i.e. gossip circle
6) Visual Communication :
charts, graphs, poster, tables, maps, etc.
7) Telecommunication and Internet : Process of
communicating over distance using
electromagnetic instruments.
Radio, TV and Internet etc. are the mass
communication media, while telephone, telegraph
are the point-to-point telecommunication system.

8. BARRIERS OF COMMUNICATION :
Health education may often fail due to
communication barrier between education and
community. These may be :
• Physiological : Hearing and expression difficulty
• Psychological : Emotional disturbances, neurosis,
level of intelligence, language & comprehension
difficulty.
• Environmental : Noise, congestion and
invisibility
• Cultural : Illiteracy, level of knowledge and
understanding, custom, beliefs, religion, attitudes,
economic & social class diff. etc.

9. HEALTH COMMUNICATION :
Health is the concern of everyone for every one.
Health communication has to cater the following
needs :
oInformation
oEducation
oMotivation
oPersuasion
oCounselling
oRaising morals
oHealth development
oOrganization

10. 1) Information :
Information should be easily accessible to the
people. Correct information is a basic part of
health education.
2) Education :
Health education can bring about changes in
the life styles and risk factors of the disease.
3) Motivation :
One of the goal of health communication is to
motivate the people. Motivation includes the
stages of interest, evaluation and decision
making

11. 4) Persuasion :
It is a conscious attempt by one individual to
change/influence the general beliefs,
understanding, values and behaviour of another
individual/group of individuals in some desired
way.
5) Counselling :
ØCounselling is the process that can help people
understand better and deal with their problems
and communicate better with those with whom
therefore emotionally involved.
ØCounselling develops positive attitudes, it is an
integral part of all health care programmes.

12. 6) Raising Morale :
Morale is the capacity of a group of people to pull
together persistently or consistently.
7) Health Development :
Communication can play a powerful role in health
development by helping to diffuse knowledge in respect
of goals of development and preparing the people for
the roles expected of them.
8) Health Organization :
Communication is the life and blood of an organization.
Vertical or horizontal.
Health education is still art rather than a science. Each
community and country should develop techniques that
meet its own needs.