Health Education Programs Challenges in Rural Communities: Experiences of Health Educators and Healthcare Authorities

Background. Health education is one of the main areas of primary health care and it is improbable that health promotion will succeed without it. However, studies show that there are some problems when implementing health education programs in rural communities. This study was carried out to illuminate the barriers to health education using Ardabil's health center manager's and health educators' experiences. Methods. This was a qualitative study using the content analysis approach. Twenty-seven health educators and managers were selected to participate in the study considering the maximum variation. Purposive sampling technique was used to select study participants. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions. Data analysis was done using a six-stage thematic analysis framework. Results. During the data analysis, four themes were apparent as barriers to health education in rural communities included: inefficient management skills, lack of responsibility among health personnel, inadequate policies, and poor inter-sectoral cooperation. Conclusions. It seems that changing job descriptions of health workers, reviewing health priorities, increasing lobbying activities are mechanisms that can help overcome barriers to health education in the rural communities.