Health Education at the University: Needs and Current Challenges

At the University we consider that it is essential to provide a satisfying quality education in order to boost the development of health education and promotion. Such education demands the acquisition of knowledge, skills and practice from the social sciences university graduates, particularly those closely related to health and education, with a global biopsychosocial approach. The purposes we set out for this study are, in general, to analyze the situation of the Spanish universities regarding Health Education and, particularly, to know the Health Education teaching received by the students from the School of Social Sciences at Pablo de Olavide University and to establish the connection between the Health Education teaching received, the need to extend this education and its future relevance. The methodology followed is quantitative, with a questionnaire completed by a sample of 455 students. The results from this study show that 76.7% of students have received information and/or education in Health Education related subjects, and 73.4% of these students believe they need more education. With regard to the relevance of this knowledge, 92.3% of students believe that acquiring knowledge on Health Education will be useful for their future careers. We consider that these are relevant facts, as they imply students see this subject necessary for their subsequent careers.