CHES Ethics in Health Education 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A health educator working in a school notices a student discloses abuse during a session. What is the ethical and legal obligation?
- Keep it confidential to maintain trust
- Report it to mandatory reporting authorities (Correct answer)
- Refer the student to a counselor and take no further action
- Discuss it only with the student's parents
Correct answer: Report it to mandatory reporting authorities
Mandatory reporting laws require health educators to report suspected child abuse, superseding general confidentiality obligations.
Question 2: When developing culturally sensitive health education materials, the ethical principle most emphasized is:
- Nonmaleficence
- Autonomy
- Respect for persons and cultural diversity (Correct answer)
- Fidelity
Correct answer: Respect for persons and cultural diversity
Respecting cultural diversity is an ethical responsibility that ensures programs are relevant, respectful, and effective for all populations.
Question 3: A health educator uses persuasive messaging tactics that exploit fear to change behavior. This approach raises concerns about which ethical principle?
- Competence
- Autonomy (Correct answer)
- Justice
- Beneficence
Correct answer: Autonomy
Using fear-based manipulation undermines participants' autonomy by bypassing rational decision-making.
Question 4: A health education researcher wants to conduct a study involving vulnerable populations. The first ethical step should be:
- Begin data collection to minimize delays
- Obtain IRB approval before proceeding (Correct answer)
- Seek funding first, then obtain approval
- Consult only with community leaders
Correct answer: Obtain IRB approval before proceeding
Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval is required before conducting research involving human subjects to protect participants.
Question 5: What does 'fidelity' mean as an ethical obligation for health educators?
- Financial responsibility to funders
- Keeping promises and honoring commitments to clients (Correct answer)
- Accuracy in data collection
- Loyalty to professional organizations
Correct answer: Keeping promises and honoring commitments to clients
Fidelity refers to being honest and keeping commitments, building trust between health educators and those they serve.
Question 6: A health educator is pressured by administration to prioritize program enrollment numbers over participant wellbeing. The ethical action is to:
- Comply to keep their job
- Advocate for participant wellbeing and address the conflict with administration (Correct answer)
- Quietly undermine administrative decisions
- Ignore the pressure and continue without addressing it
Correct answer: Advocate for participant wellbeing and address the conflict with administration
Health educators must advocate for the health and wellbeing of their participants, even when facing institutional pressure.
Question 7: Which scenario best illustrates the ethical principle of veracity in health education?
- Providing services equally to all community members
- Accurately presenting research findings without distorting results (Correct answer)
- Maintaining client confidentiality in all situations
- Avoiding harm in all program activities
Correct answer: Accurately presenting research findings without distorting results
Veracity requires health educators to be truthful and accurate in all professional communications and presentations.
CHES Ethics in Health Education 3
A health educator working in a school notices a student discloses abuse during a session.
What is the ethical and legal obligation?