PEN-3 Model
The PEN-3 Model was originally developed as a useful framework for health education and disease prevention in African countries. There are three interrelated and interdependent dimensions of health beliefs and behaviors embedded in this model. They are:
- Health education,
- Educational diagnosis of health behavior and
- Cultural appropriateness of health behavior.
“P” stands for ‘Person’ implying that there should be empowerment for the individuals to make informed decisions signifying their roles in the families; “E” denotes ‘Extended family’. This means that the health education should cover not only the individuals but also the whole extended family; and “N” stands for ‘Neighborhood’ implying that the health education should protect the neighborhoods and communities (Missisipi State University, 2001).
Perceptions
There are three different factors covered under the second dimension of educational diagnosis of the health behavior. They are:
- perceptions,
- enablers and
- nurturers.
Perceptions are the knowledge, attitude, values and beliefs, which may aid or hamper the personal motivation to maintain or change the health beliefs and/or practices. Two examples of perceptions may be provided in
- obesity may not necessarily associated with a negative body image for many Hispanic or African Americans and
- getting pregnant in the teenage is preferred among the African Americans.
In these cases, it is important that appropriate health education interventions start with the perceived needs and desires. Such health education need not take into account the real needs as defined by the planners. Positive, negative or existential attitudes or aspects may characterize the perceptions.
Positive perceptions may result in an individual, family or community is accustomed to health practices contributing to improved health status. It is essential that these practices must be encouraged to develop good health among the communities and individuals. Such positive perceptions resulting in good health practices are necessary to empower individuals, families and neighborhoods towards better and healthy living. An example in this direction is the traditional practice of consuming more of green vegetables would lead to longer and healthy life. This is a positive perception that needs encouragement.
On the contrary, negative perceptions would lead the individuals, families and communities to follow health practices that are harmful to keeping good health. Such practices lead to unnecessary consequences in terms of affecting good health and potential loss of earning capacity of the adults. One example in this case may be cited is having unprotected sex with unknown people. This would lead to HIV/AIDS, which is harmful to the individual and to the families (Missisipi State University, 2001).
Existential perceptions are unique to particular communities, which are also having no harmful consequences. There is the need only to study such perceptions and practices as to their effect on the health of the individuals, families and neighborhoods. Efforts may be taken to improve upon these perceptions and practices so that they become beneficial to the individuals and families.
It is imperative that the health educators concentrate on both the positive and negative perceptions to keep the pace of empowerment of individuals in any health program. This will have the advantage of having a higher level of sensitivity when the most culturally appropriate health education interventions are selected by the planners (Missisipi State University, 2001).
Thus, the PEN-3 model provides an opportunity to promote the notion of multiple truths by allowing examining cultures and behaviors. This process starts with identifying the positives and existential which represents unique cultural values before embarking upon the negative perceptions. This encourages intervention and theorizing of positive values in preference to changing the negative values in the communities and neighborhoods (Airhihenbuwa, 2007).
References
Airhihenbuwa, C. O. (2007). On Being Comfortable With Being Uncomfortable: Centering an Africanist Vision in Our Gateway to Global Health. Web.
MissisipiStateUniversity. (2001). Health Education Models:HEALTH EDUCATION PLANNING MODELS — A REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE – PART II. Web.