EDUCATION for health can be thought of as a learning process that may involve cognitive, affective, and behavioral components which influence what a person knows, believes, or does about health matters. This learning process is one by which individual knowledge, attitudes, motivations, and behaviors are changed. The educator is one who attempts to facilitate the learning process in a direction deemed appropriate and desirable. Planned intervention is aimed at influencing and persuading an audience, ranging from one person to a large group of people, to (a) practice acceptable health behavior, such as brushing one's teeth regularly or submitting to a medical examination; or (b) refrain from some undesirable behavior, such as smoking cigarettes or using the services of nonscientific practitioners. I will discuss some elements of the learning process, specifically focusing on certain communications characteristics. I also will review the re

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SCIENTIFIC and technological knowledge is growing at a rate unequaled in the his¬ tory of time. Knowledge of optimal health practices is increasing and far exceeds the actual acceptance in adoption of new practices by the populous.indeed, even the professional. The Surgeon General's Keport on Smoking and Health has linked cigarette smoking with lung cancer.yet people continue to smoke. The Papanicolaou smear test can detect uterine can¬ cer in early, curable stages.yet women continue to die from this disease. Venereal diseases are

Fragmentation of health programs and responsibilities have increased. Health care and action to deal with its problems consequently have affected education for health. These and other aspects are explored, the need for coordination at an operational level is analyzed, and several suggestions to deal with the situation are proposed.

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