[Health education methodology: an attempt at classification]

Health education is a major tool in the implementation of any dynamic health promotion policy. In the author's view, its conventional role, the improvement of health by bringing about behavioural changes is today subject to controversy. He identifies five key approaches in health education: the traditional approach, characterized by three features: the didactic provision of information, the use of fear as an educational technique, and the appeal to the individual's sense of responsibility for his own health. the media approach, which uses marketing methods to promote health, with a tendency to resort to positive humorous messages. the socio-political approach, which questions the very purpose of health education. According to those who hold this view, wide-scale educational campaigns would only increase social and health inequalities and would be quite ineffective in fighting the powerful economic interests that control most of our habits. The health educator's real role would be to raise the people's political awareness. the epidemiological approach, which aims at great soundness through precise planning by objectives. It is based on the so-called exact sciences such as epidemiology and its aim is to study needs and assess actions. It incorporates the classical concept according to which a change in knowledge leads to a change in behaviour and habits and thus induces health improvement. Its very elaborate character accounts for both its strength and its weakness. In fact, it takes little account of the complexity of the educational process. the community approach fills some of these gaps by stressing the participation of individuals and institutions at all programming levels. For this purpose, it uses techniques designed to ensure consensus. In conclusion, the author recommends that active research in health education be undertaken in order to clarify more adequately these approaches with a view to improving the effectiveness of preventive work.