• Korean Journal of Health Education and Promotion
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• v.23 no.5
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• pp.75-97
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• 2006

This study assessed 1) the coverage of the entry-level responsibilities and competencies for certified health education specialists (CHES) developed in the United States (U.S.) by 140 current health education-related professional preparation programs in Japan, and 2) barriers and concerns related to the development of Japanese health educators. A cross-sectional survey study was conducted to Japanese professors teaching health education-related courses at 4-year universities/colleges in Japan. All entry-level CHES responsibilities and competencies were generally covered to different degrees by the study respondents. The top 3 responsibilities most emphasized by the respondents were Responsibilities I, related to need assessment skills, Responsibility II, related to planning health education programs, and Responsibility III, related to implement health education programs. The 3 competencies most frequently covered by the respondents were related to needs assessment skills (Competencies 1-3). The competencies least covered by the respondents were those related to Responsibilities V (Competencies 1619). Other competencies related to role modeling, cultural competencies, and planning youth health education programs, were recommended. In addition, the major concerns and opinions that the respondents reported for this topic pertained to 1) Professional training, 2) The need for well-defined professional roles, and 3) The importance of licensing. The results suggested that Japanese health education-related programs cover all CHES responsibilities and competencies developed in the U.S. to different degrees. However, they tend to focus more on needs assessment, planning and implementing health education programs. Although possible responsibilities for future Japanese health educators were recommended, further research to identify the most appropriate responsibilities and competencies for this profession is needed. Major barriers, concerns and opinions reported by the respondents should be discussed at future meetings for this profession.

• Korean Journal of Health Education and Promotion
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• v.27 no.5
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• pp.63-71
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• 2010

Objectives: The field of health education is still relatively new and is therefore evolving and developing rapidly throughout the world. Many countries' certification programs are still being created. This paper will discuss on the US CHES system of regulation, accreditation, and implementation for the future development of international health education programs. Methods: This article focuses on the United States CHES credentialing program, specifically on its historical development and the roles, employment settings and socioeconomic demographics of current CHES professionals through literature review. Results: The roles and skills required vary by employment setting, with seven universally recognized responsibilities of health educators. There are also 35 key competencies which are crucial to the role of the health educator, with 163 sub-competencies performed by all health educators. The employment of health educators will increase from 62,000 in 2006 to 78,000 in 2016. As the costs of healthcare increase, employers are projected to hire more health educators to decrease healthcare costs through prevention and early detection of chronic illnesses. Community health non-profit agencies, academia, healthcare (hospital/clinic), schools, government/government contracting, and businesses are some of the most widespread employment settings for health educators in the United States. Conclusion: Better understanding of this longstanding and successful program will benefit countries developing their own certification system. The variety and specificity of the information on the US CHES program may be of value as South Korea continues to develop its Korean CHES program.