International Journal of Medical Research & Health Sciences, vol.6, no.3, pp.22-28, 2017 (Journal Indexed in ESCI)
Preventable diseases pose a serious problem worldwide. The role of primary healthcare professionals is especially
significant in promoting health. Aim: It is aimed to determine the health care professionals working in family health
centres have on health education and health promotion skills. Method: The study sample included 144 health care
professionals employed in one of 33 family health centres in Ankara Province. The study data were collected using
a survey developed on the health education and health promotion skills included in the family medicine specialty
education and curriculum from 2008. Results: It was found that 33.3% of the health care professionals had planned
to receive health education, and that approximately half of the health care professionals had actively practiced health
education and health promotion skills. Considering that time constraints were reported to be the most significant
barriers to health promotion, primary health care professionals, most particularly the nurses, should be provided
with comprehensive continuing educative training on health promotion and health education skills to foster their
professional development. Health promotion and health education trainings shall serve to help them become more
active and take on the responsibility of assuming counselling and training roles in health education.