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Role Modeling: A Dilemma for the Health Education Specialist

This article has been purposely compiled by a doctoral student and a professor in a health education professional preparation program. The intent is to represent nearly opposite ends of the experience spectrum while discussing the issue of professional health educators serving as role models. On one end of the spectrum is a student who has read literature to accomplish the assignments in her courses, begun holding dialogue with professional health educators on the Health Education Directory (HEDIR) electronic dis cussion list, and begun attending professional meetings. On the other end is a professor with more than 30 years of experience, more than 20 years of which were spent as a faculty member in professional preparation programs. The professor also has been employed in school and work site settings; provided leadership in the community setting through service on numerous boards of directors and committees; and provided extensive leadership in professional societies at local, state, regional, and national levels. From the perspective of the student, health educators should view role modeling as a responsibility inherent in the roles of teachers, leaders, and anyone with high public visibility. Although little evidence is actually presented in the literature of health education, the fields of education and psychology have numerous examples supported by the literature. Two key points must be made. First, health should be viewed as a dynamic process. A dedication and journey toward a healthy lifestyle, rather than just the final outcome, should be the emphasis. A true role model is one who might struggle like the rest of us to make healthy choices as opposed to one who has reached an inert pinnacle of health. Second, as health educators know well, the physical aspect is only one realm of the totality of health. Emotional, social, and spiritual health are equally important compo nents. These components are hard to define, harder to measure, and based on very individ ual values. The student postulates that few of us would have an equal distribution of com ponents such as spokes on a wheel. At times, it is necessary to focus more attention on one area than on others with the intention to return to attempted equality in the future. An example that readily springs to mind is the life of a commuting graduate student. Expand