Health Education Research: Evolution or Revolution (Or Maybe Both)?

Abstract

The health education profession can point to numerous achievements that demonstrate its progress, evolution, and coming of age, especially over the past two decades. Despite these accomplishments, an ongoing area of deficit for health educators is in defining, developing, conducting, and disseminating quality research. This article argues that health education must expand its research horizons; engage in more interdisciplinary research; embrace the work of other social, behavioral, and educational scientists; and rise above the current of healthedcentrism that permeates much of the profession. A series of health education researcher “sins” is presented, and guidance for revolutionizing and advancing the profession in the early years of the 21st century through research is provided.