Health education: structural vs. behavioral perspectives

A study of alternative definitions and interpretations of health education in public policy resulted in the identification of a typology of differing perspectives. The two perspectives, behavioral and structural, are described in this paper, along with the three levels of health education programs. The study found: (1) an over-emphasis of public health education policies on individual behavioral changes and (2) a lack of focus in health education programs at the federal level. An analysis was done of the National Consumer Health Information and Health Promotion Act of 1976 to demonstrate these findings. The paper concludes that a balance between the two perspectives is needed, and it offers policy direction to support this conclusion.