A GRADUATE COURSE IN WORK-SITE HEALTH PROMOTION FOR OCCUPATIONAL-HEALTH PRACTITIONERS

This paper describes the rationale, teaching strategies, outcomes, and a G-month follow-up of an academic course in work site health promoti on, in which 35 occupational health practitioners participated. The on e-semester course was part of the Masters in Science program in occupa tional health at the Tel-Aviv University Medical School. The primary g oals of the study were to teach the theoretical bases of work site hea lth promotion and their application to specific health needs, and to t rain better role models for employees. The primary teaching strategies were: (1) facilitation of experiential learning, by encouraging stude nts to undergo health screening and then engage in a personal health p romotion plan; (2) use of health promotion experts as guest teachers; and (3) an increase in formal knowledge through formal lectures and ba ckground reading. At the time of follow-up, most of the students were still adhering to their plans and maintaining much of their health pro motion achievements. Additional outcomes included increased awareness of health risks and health promotion issues, and positions as role mod els in the private and professional domains. The primary barrier to ad herence was low frustration tolerance, which can be regarded as the ma jor challenge to health promotion programs and courses. A is suggested that the course format is an effective means of educating health prom oters.