Use and Impact of the Competencies for Entry-Level Health Educators on Professional Preparation Programs

Abstract

The “Responsibilities and Competencies for Entry-Level Health Educators” (Competencies) document identifies the major responsibilities in which all entry-level health educators are expected to be proficient and serves as the basis of credentialing certified health education specialists (CHES). This study addresses several fundamental questions related to their use: (1) What are the characteristics of the units that have professional preparation programs that prepare entry-level health educators? (2) Are the faculty in those programs familiar with the Competencies? (3) Do the faculty use the Competencies when planning their curricula? (4) What has been the impact of the Competencies? (5) Would the administrators of undergraduate programs using the Competencies agree to inclusion in a voluntary registry of such programs? All departments (N = 214) listed in the most recently published American Association for Health Education Directory of Institutions Offering Undergraduate and Graduate Degree Programs in Health Education were surveyed, with a response rate of 74.9%. Nearly all (96.9%) of the respondents indicated that they, personally, were familiar with the Competencies, and 84.6% felt that their faculty members were familiar with them. Almost all respondents (92.9%) indicated that their programs prepared students in the Competencies. It appears that the Competencies have had the greatest impact on health education curricula followed by the quality of students graduated from these programs and student employment prospects. Less affected by the Competencies have been department image/credibility, faculty development, faculty composition/hiring, administration support, and student demand. Finally, respondents would like to make use of the Competencies known by being listed in a registry of such programs.