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Copyright of Rostrum of Asclepius / Vima tou Asklipiou is the property of Technological Educational Institute of Athens and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

BACKGROUND: The effectiveness of health education depends on the chosen method. The written health education material is a complementary method that aims to maximize the effectiveness of health education. The main purpose of this study was to evaluate the health education material, designed and disseminated by the Hellenic Ministry of Health. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study included and evaluated the health education material, designed and disseminated by Hellenic Ministry of Health. The material was obtained by the responsible department following written permission and by collection of Prevention laboratory in faculty of Nursing of National and Kapodistrian University of Athens. The evaluation criteria are derived from the literature review. Data were entered and analyzed by Excel. The analysis was qualitative and in order to ensure the validity of it a second postgraduate student blindly reviewed the material in terms of the theoretical approach. RESULTS: Sixty four printed health education materials were assessed, the majority of which addresses infectious diseases such as AIDS, H1N1 and Meningitis. Sixty-three (98,2%) of these materials were evaluated as linguistically appropriate and 48 (75%) use suitable illustrations. Fifty-four (84,3%) of printed health education materials aimed at primary prevention while the majority of them (23,4%) use the medical approach. CONCLUSION: The study showed that the health education materials, designed and disseminated by Hellenic Ministry of Health, meet several of the criteria laid down, have linguistic appropriateness, use illustrations and explanatory captions, and focus in primary prevention. Regarding the theoretical approach many of them need improvement, as the basic purpose is the behavioral change. Moreover, cultural sensitivity should be an essential criterion in the designing of such printed materials, as immigration in Greece is increasing. Guidelines for designing health educational materials should also be formulated in order to improve the effectiveness of it. The effectiveness of this material should also be evaluated by appropriate studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Rostrum of Asclepius / Vima tou Asklipiou is the property of Technological Educational Institute of Athens and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)