Development of Health Education Program Components for Early Childhood and the Investigation of Teachers' Awareness and Performance Rate of Health Education

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: This study was conducted to develop health education program components for early childhood and to investigate teachers' awareness of the importance of health education and their performance rate of health education. METHODS: Early childhood health education program components were developed using two rounds of the Delphi method. The Delphi group consisted of 21 experts in childhood education. After health education program components were developed, they were used in surveying child care teachers' awareness of importance and performance rate and 151 teachers sampled from 30 child care centers participated in the survey. RESULTS: The early childhood health education program components consisted of 5 areas, 16 subjects and 33 specific contents. Early childhood teachers' awareness of importance was over 4.5 points in all the areas and in 11 out of the 16 subjects. The most frequently educated subjects were 'the importance of hand washing' and the least frequently educated subject was 'obesity prevention'. The teachers' awareness of importance and their performance rate of specific contents were high in 'maintaining order' and 'using children's rides safely,' and low in 'obesity prevention' and 'infectious disease prevention.' CONCLUSION: The components of this health program were developed in consideration of field feasibility and the relationship of health program education in elementary, middle and high school.