Biomaterial Database

The President's Committee on Health Education: a 20-year retrospective on its politics and policy impact. 1992

M A Guinta, and J P Allegrante

Center for Health Promotion, Teachers College, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027.

The President's Committee on Health Education was created by Richard M. Nixon in September 1971 and submitted its final report in September 1973. The committee resulted from the convergence of (1) a perceived national domestic policy need in response to escalating medical costs, (2) Nixon's personal and political ambitions, and (3) the dynamic political context of the late 1960s and early 1970s. Its work led to both private and public initiatives designed to influence the public's health through education; its findings and recommendations also laid the foundation for the National Consumer Health Information and Health Promotion Act of 1976 and thus contributed significantly to the development of subsequent national policy in health promotion and disease prevention. This paper places the work and contributions of the committee into historical perspective by analyzing the committee's origins and methods and the underlying politics that shaped its work and final report. The impact of the President's Committee is traced from the emergence of health education in the early 1970s as a potentially cost-effective alternative to medical care to the pivotal role health education now plays in health promotion and disease prevention efforts.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D009937	Organizational Objectives	The purposes, missions, and goals of an individual organization or its units, established through administrative processes. It includes an organization's long-range plans and administrative philosophy.	Goal Setting, Organizational,Goals, Organizational,Objectives, Organizational,Organizational Goals,Goal Settings, Organizational,Goal, Organizational,Objective, Organizational,Organizational Goal,Organizational Goal Setting,Organizational Goal Settings,Organizational Objective,Setting, Organizational Goal,Settings, Organizational Goal
D011057	Politics	Activities concerned with governmental policies, functions, etc.	Political Activity,Conservatism,Decentralization,Liberalism,Political Factors,Activities, Political,Activity, Political,Factor, Political,Factors, Political,Political Activities,Political Factor
D003254	Consumer Advocacy	The promotion and support of consumers' rights and interests.	Public Advocacy,Advocacies, Consumer,Advocacies, Public,Advocacy, Consumer,Advocacy, Public,Consumer Advocacies,Public Advocacies
D006266	Health Education	Education that increases the awareness and favorably influences the attitudes and knowledge relating to the improvement of health on a personal or community basis.	Community Health Education,Education, Health,Education, Community Health,Health Education, Community
D006284	Health Plan Implementation	Those actions designed to carry out recommendations pertaining to health plans or programs.	Health Plan Implementations,Implementation, Health Plan,Implementations, Health Plan,Plan Implementation, Health,Plan Implementations, Health
D006286	Health Planning Councils	Organized groups serving in advisory capacities related to health planning activities.	National Council on Health Planning and Development,Statewide Health Coordinating Councils,Council, Health Planning,Councils, Health Planning,Health Planning Council,Planning Council, Health,Planning Councils, Health
D006287	Health Planning Guidelines	Recommendations for directing health planning functions and policies. These may be mandated by PL93-641 and issued by the Department of Health and Human Services for use by state and local planning agencies.	Guidelines for Health Planning,Recommendations, Health Planning,Guideline, Health Planning,Guidelines, Health Planning,Health Planning Guideline,Health Planning Recommendation,Health Planning Recommendations,Planning Guideline, Health,Planning Guidelines, Health,Planning Recommendation, Health,Planning Recommendations, Health,Recommendation, Health Planning
D006291	Health Policy	Decisions, usually developed by government policymakers, for determining present and future objectives pertaining to the health care system.	Health Care Policies,Health Policies,Healthcare Policy,National Health Policy,Care Policies, Health,Health Care Policy,Health Policy, National,Healthcare Policies,National Health Policies,Policies, Health,Policies, Health Care,Policies, Healthcare,Policy, Health,Policy, Health Care,Policy, Healthcare
D006292	Health Priorities	Preferentially rated health-related activities or functions to be used in establishing health planning goals. This may refer specifically to PL93-641.	Priorities, Health,Health Priority,Priority, Health
D006293	Health Promotion	Encouraging consumer behaviors most likely to optimize health potentials (physical and psychosocial) through health information, preventive programs, and access to medical care.	Health Campaigns,Promotion of Health,Wellness Programs,Promotional Items,Campaign, Health,Campaigns, Health,Health Campaign,Health Promotions,Item, Promotional,Items, Promotional,Program, Wellness,Programs, Wellness,Promotion, Health,Promotional Item,Promotions, Health,Wellness Program