| Show The Human New Approaches to Side Peer Health Education By Jeff Soder Director Health Wellness Services Peer education is a traditional component of college health services and Health Wellness Services at does have a peer educator club called BACCHUS The philosophy which guides the club however is anything but traditional Usually peer educators attempt to reduce disease and promote health on campus by providing fellow students with information Smoking is bad for you alcohol abuse leads to a host of ills both for you and society unprotected unprotected unprotected sex can lead to diseases or unwanted pregnancies sedentary lifestyles are bad for the heart As you might guess such tactics rarely change peoples people's behaviors Even little little little lit lit- tle kids know smoking is bad for them and yet in Utah a little less than 15 of the population smokes Health information alone is is' insufficient insufficient insufficient for addressing many health behaviors So why do we have peer educators educators educators tors on campus and what can peer educators do to encourage fellow stu stu- stu- stu dents to adopt healthy behaviors First of all there is research that shows that the experience of being a peer educator will have a powerful effect on the peers themselves In the process of talking to others about health peers unwittingly reinforce their own commitment to health One reason then to have a thriving peer health education group on campus campus campus cam cam- pus is to reinforce the healthy choices of the peers themselves Secondly health researchers are increasingly understanding how health choices get made and we are in a better position than ever to influence those health choices Researchers are recognizing that health choices are not made by individuals individuals individuals indi indi- in isolation Rather individuals als make choices in a rich context which includes what friends are doing what family traditions encourage encourage encourage age what the community supports what the cultural norms dictate In a recent national study researchers showed that three-quarters three of fraternity fraternity fraternity frater frater- brothers and sorority sisters abuse alcohol In the Greek system on many college campuses heavy drinking is the norm In such an it is undoubtedly very difficult for particular individuals to choose to drink moderately or to choose to abstain altogether Thus health choices are not made in isolation isolation isolation iso iso- lation they're made within cultural al contexts To affect unhealthy behavior p peer er educators have to think about how to challenge cultural cultural cultural cul cul- cul- cul tural beliefs and social environments environments environments environ environ- ments which support unhealthy habits Promoting environmental changes is challenging but its it's rewarding too As an example instead of directing individuals not notto notto notto to binge drink peer health educators educators educators tors may work with local clubs to eliminate happy hour or encourage encourage encourage age them to offer free soft drinks to designated drivers The goal is to create a campus and community environment which supports and rewards individuals who choose health One way to learn more about this approach to health promotion promotion promotion pro pro- o motion is to become involved inthe in inthe inthe the BACCHUS club on campus The BACCHUS Advisor Dee DeeDee Dee Lobato can be reached at 95 7 |
