Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #109028

Susan Radius, PhD, CHES, Department of Health Science, Towson University, Burdick Hall, Towson, MD 21252, 410.704.4216, sradius@towson.edu, Regina A. Galer-Unti, PhD, CHES, Consultant, P.O. Box 125, Urbana, IL 61801, and Marlene Tappe, PhD, CHES, Department of Health Science, Mankato State University, 213 Highland North, Mankato, MN 56001.

Purpose: This study identified differences in faculty advocacy-related training, teaching, and perceived competency to teach advocacy in health education and health promotion. Significance: Teaching about advocacy is a relatively new pedagogical imperative. It is therefore useful to examine the extent to which faculty embrace and are prepared for advocacy in their actions and in their classrooms. Methods: Institutional websites and organizational rosters generated a list of (approximately) 2,000 faculty teaching in health education and health promotion, each of whom received a 44-item online advocacy survey. ANOVA and t-tests were used to determine differences in faculty perceptions of the importance of advocacy, personal involvement in, and competency to teach advocacy. Results: Of the 405 respondents (59.8% female, mean age = 48), 95.8% stated that advocacy is important to the profession. 87.6% believed that students' required coursework should include advocacy for health and health education. 52% reported no advocacy education in graduate school; 48% had not participated in continuing education on the topic. Faculty differed significantly (p<05) by age, advocacy-related training, teaching experience, and involvement in advocacy activities in their perceived competence to teach advocacy. Among numerous statistically significant findings (p<05), faculty perceptions of advocacy's importance also differed according to involvement in advocacy activities. Conclusions: Faculty require more opportunities to increase real and perceived competence in advocacy. Opportunities in higher education, pre-service programs and professional societies are among multiple venues to pursue as means to enhancing training for and efficacy of advocacy in health education and health promotion.

Learning Objectives:

(
• to describe faculty readiness for preparing effective advocates in health education and promotion (
• to identify venues to enhance faculty competence as health education advocates and educators

Keywords: Advocacy, Health Education

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commercial supporters.