A National Profile of Health Educators: Preliminary Data from the First Cohorts of CHES

Abstract

With advent of a national certification system for health educators, the National Commission for Health Education Credentialing (NCHEC) is beginning to collect information about the profession of health education and the individuals who practice health education across the five major practice settings. A preliminary profile of practitioners is emerging which contains information about professional preparation, professional affiliations, and distribution of practitioners in various practice settings. Within a year, other important demographic information should be available. NCHEC data represent the first time in the history of the profession that information about health educators in schools, communities, medical care, and worksite settings has been compiled. A profile of the information gathered during the first four years of the certification is highlighted.