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This document is being maintained for historical purposes, but is now out of date. To view current guidelines please visit:

• HIV/AIDS Guidelines and Recommendations   at http://www.cdc.gov/hiv/guidelines/index.html

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Guidelines for Health Education and Risk Reduction Activities

April 1995
                
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Atlanta, Georgia

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      Core Elements of Health Education and Risk Reduction Activities

A number of core elements should be considered in health education and risk
reduction program and evaluation activities.

Effective Health Education and Risk Reduction program activities:

  - State realistic, specific, measurable, and attainable program goals and
    objectives.

  - Identify methods and activities to achieve specific goals and
    objectives.

  - Define staff roles, duties, and responsibilities.

  - Define the populations to be served by geographic locale, risk
    behavior(s), gender, sexual orientation, and race/ethnicity.

  - Assure that educational materials and messages are relevant, culturally
    competent, and language- and age-appropriate.

  - Include professional development for all program staff.

  - Include a written policy and personnel procedures that address stress
    and burnout.

  - Include written procedures for the referral and tracking of clients to
    appropriate services outside of the agency.

  - Provide for collaboration with other local service providers to assure
    access to services for clients.

  - Assure confidentiality of persons served.

Effective Health Education and Risk Reduction evaluation activities:

  - Include process evaluation. (See Appendices.)

  - Require consistent and accurate data collection procedures, including
    number of persons served, quantity and type of literature or materials
    distributed, and demographics of persons served.  A description of the
    tools to be used and definitions of various measurements (e.g., "unit
    of service" and "contact") should be outlined.

  - Include staff supervision, observation, evaluation, and feedback on a
    regular basis.  (See Appendices B-D.)

  - Include feedback from persons served.

  - Designate staff who are responsible for evaluation and quality
    assurance activities, for compiling and analyzing data, and for
    documenting and reviewing findings.

  - Define methods for assessing progress toward stated process
    goals/outcome objectives.

  - Include mechanisms for measuring the use of referral services.

  - Provide findings for program modifications.

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