[To promote the change of health education orientation and to incorporate the Spanish universities to the task].
The problem health education faces in Spanish schools is the inconsistency between objectives and means. Therefore, it is common to find health education initiatives limited by not only lack of institutional support and training of professionals, but also by its adherence to a theory-based learning. This article analyses the need for a practical alternative, which would involve researchers/teachers and students in thinking and building the best health practices for them and their community. Parent-like behaviour, based on information and/or persuasion, looks to protect adolescent health and well-being until they are able to take on responsibility of their own, despite the fact that adolescents' search for knowledge influences their own perceptions of what is best for individual and community health. In order to tackle this challenge faced by health educators, in contrast to the theory-based teaching model, it is necessary to implicate the people into the learning process. An in depth study on the definition of health education paradigms (informative, persuasive and political-ecological) (García et al., 2001) has been developed, and which Jensen (1997) divides into two types: moral (informative) and democratic (ecological). As part of this process to transform health education into a participatory practice, and given its social impact, there is also a need to implement health education at higher educational levels and not only in primary and secondary school as occurs in Spain. Turning universities into 'health promoting agencies' (Dooris, 2001) would imply coordinating education with personal, professional and community action, and would be supported and driven by organisational change at university level and would require the participation of all involved when defining the course of action. As a consequence, the people involved in health education learning processes at university level would improve not only their quality of life, but they would also build capacity to influence the different sectors of society they are in contact with (Toyne and Ali-Khan, 1998.).
García Martínez
Alfonso
A
Facultad de Educactión, Universidad de Murcia, Campus de Espinardo, 30100 Espinardo, Murcia, España. alfonsog@um.es
D006266:Health Education / Q000458:organization & administration*; D009936:Organizational Innovation; D013030:Spain; D014495:Universities / Q000458:organization & administration*