Introduction

Communication is an essential part of human life; all meaningful social interaction can be labelled ‘communication’. Without communication an individual could never become a fully functioning human being. Reading, writing, listening, speaking, viewing and creating images are all acts of communication. There are also many more subtle communication activities that may be conscious or unconscious. These include expression, gesture and ‘body language’. Through communication people transfer facts, ideas, emotions, knowledge, attitudes and skills to make informed decisions about their health. In this study session you will learn the basic concepts, levels, roles, principles and types of communication used in health education and health promotion.