Health carnival: an experiment in health education

Some common diseases or accidents that kill or disable persons prematurely are preventable, delayable or sometimes curable if detected early. Prevention, delay or cure requires that individuals be informed of the risks and of the ways they can avoid them, and that those with habits that increase their risks change their behavior. The authors decided to attempt health education of employees and their families by using a carnival setting to make it attractive and memorable. Active participation and demonstrations were used to stimulate interest and involvement to promote learning. Attendance was satisfactory and post-carnival conversations and questionnaires suggest that this might be a useful method of promoting health and safety with employees and their families.