COVID-19 Health Education Activities: An Analysis of a National Sample of Certified Health Educations Specialists (CHES®/MCHES®) in Response to the Global Pandemic

• Authors: Beth H Chaney, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa; Michael L Stellefson, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa; Melissa Opp, National Commission for Health Education Credentialing, Whitehall; Marianne Allard, Emory University; J. Don Chaney, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa; Kylie Lovett, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa
• Journal Title: Health Promotion Practice
• Publisher: SAGE Publications | 2023-07-19
• Type of Work: Article | Final Publisher PDF
• Publisher DOI: http://doi.org/10.1177/15248399231184447
• Subjects: Health Sciences, Public Health; Health Sciences, Medicine and Surgery; Health Sciences, Education
• Keywords: COVID-19 response; health education; areas of responsibility for health education specialists; emergency preparedness; CHES; MCHES

Abstract

The National Commission of Health Education Credentialing, Inc. (NCHEC) created the Category 1 COVID-19 Claim Form Opportunity to document how Certified Health Education Specialists (CHES®) and Master Certified Health Education Specialists (MCHES®) assisted communities during the COVID-19 pandemic. Using data submitted by CHES®/MCHES® (n = 3,098 claim forms), the purpose of this study was to (a) describe the settings where CHES® and MCHES® completed their pandemic work and (b) assess differences in the type of pandemic work completed by CHES® compared with MCHES® based on specific Areas of Responsibility (AOR) for Health Education Specialists. Findings showed that CHES® and MCHES® engaged in seven AOR during the pandemic, with the largest proportion of CHES® (n = 859; 33%) and MCHES® (n = 105; 21.9%, documenting COVID-19-related activities in health departments. CHES® reported higher engagement than MCHES® in activities such as COVID-19 reporting/tracking, χ2 (1, N = 3,098) = 27.3, p < .001; outbreak response, χ2 (1, N = 3,098) = 4.3, p = .039; and vaccination, χ2 (1, N = 3,098) = 5.2, p = .023. Conversely, MCHES® reported higher participation than CHES® in screening/testing, χ2 (1, N = 3,098) = 174.2, p < .001; administration of budgets/operations, χ2 (1, N = 3,098) = 30.1, p < .001; and adapting educational activities at college/universities, χ2 (1, N = 3,098) = 46.1, p < .001. CHES® were more likely than MCHES® to indicate working in all AOR except for Area 2—Plan Health Education/Promotion. Results support that employer-verified health education skills in all AOR were transferable during COVID-19, especially for CHES® employed within state/county health departments.