What Is a Health Promotion Specialist?

Health promotion specialists are skilled professionals who encourage and promote health and well-being in communities by designing programs and strategies that can help people live healthier, happier lives.

Earning a certificate in public health can help individuals gain the skills and knowledge they need to make impactful changes in public health at the local, state, national or global level.

What Does a Health Promotion Specialist Do?

Health promotion specialists play an important role in communities across the United States and around the world. They collect data within populations, then use that data to design programs and training aimed at improving the health and well-being of those populations in a variety of ways. They also are instrumental in promoting community design, which involves creating living spaces that enhance the health and quality of life of everyone in the community.

Work Settings for Health Promotion Specialists

Health promotion specialists commonly work for government-run hospitals and other health-focused agencies at the local, state and national levels. Some health promotion specialists work in county health departments or with local community groups, while others work in schools, prisons or workplaces.

Key Job Responsibilities

The responsibilities involved in health promotion vary significantly based on the specific needs of the community. For example, some health promotion specialists focus on nutrition and exercise programs to fight obesity, while others use their knowledge of epidemiology to prevent and mitigate the effects of communicable diseases. Health promotion specialists’ key responsibilities include the following:

Designing and Conducting Surveys

Health promotion specialists are only effective when they understand the specific issues that impact their communities. They regularly design and conduct surveys to collect data about a population, including basic demographic information and individuals’ perceptions of the most pressing issues in the community.

Designing and Developing Community Health Programs

Based on the data they’ve collected from the surveys, health promotion specialists design, develop and manage community health programs. For example, health fairs bring health care professionals, community organizations and the public together to share information and resources that address local issues and concerns. Health promotion specialists also may teach courses online, in libraries or at local colleges and universities to educate the public about healthy lifestyles.

Managing Public Health Initiatives

Health promotion specialists are directly involved in public health initiatives that focus on promoting health, preventing and fighting disease, and providing health care practitioners with the resources they need to better treat and educate their patients. In some cases, these initiatives are topic-specific, addressing, for example, environmental health, Alzheimer’s disease, infectious disease or immunizations.

Leading Disease Prevention Efforts

A main goal of health promotion specialists is to reduce the frequency and severity of chronic disease among members of their communities. Some of the most common diseases they focus on are diabetes, heart disease and preventable cancers. Health promotion specialists provide people with education and resources about these diseases, how to prevent them and how to manage them to reduce their occurrence and keep populations healthier.

Performing Outreach and Participating in Community Engagement

Most health promotion specialists send emails, postcards or other announcements to community members that are designed to inform them about public health issues. They also work directly with groups of people to address the health issues that affect them. Health promotion specialists secure and allocate resources via partnerships with other community groups to support these outreach and community engagement efforts.

Fundamental Skills for Health Promotion Specialists

Health promotion specialists must possess a variety of skills to thrive in their roles. They learn some of these skills through education, but others are honed over time through experience. Following are some of the most fundamental skills needed to succeed as a health promotion specialist:

Communication Skills

Because health promotion specialists spend a great deal of their time working directly with the public, exceptional oral and written communication skills are key. These individuals must convey confidence and expert-level knowledge to show their audiences they are trustworthy and to motivate them to make healthy changes in their lifestyles.

Data Collection Skills

Health promotion specialists need to be able to gather and analyze vast amounts of data to discover and address the factors affecting the health of members of their communities. Data collection skills are important for designing surveys, using various data collection tools and compiling reports based on statistics and demographics.

Health Program Development Skills

Health promotion specialists need to be able to design programs and events aimed at improving the health and wellness of people in their communities. For example, workshops and lectures can show local health care professionals the magnitude and impact of specific diseases or conditions in their communities. Similarly, a health fair is a coordinated effort that provides health education and screenings to individuals living in the community.

Disease Prevention Skills

Disease prevention is at the heart of health promotion specialists’ careers. Skills associated with disease prevention include being able to teach disease prevention courses, offer lifestyle management and coaching services, and create a culturally aware, evidence-based curriculum focused on treating and preventing disease.

Health Promotion Specialist Salary and Job Outlook

As more communities, workplaces and schools focus on promoting healthy lifestyles and well-being, the demand for health promotion specialists is expected to rise. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) projects that employment of health education specialists will rise by 7 percent between 2022 and 2032.

The median annual salary of health education specialists as of May 2022 is $59,990, according to the BLS. The highest-paid 10 percent, which generally represents those with many years of experience, earn more than $106,000 annually.

Encourage Community Health and Wellness as a Health Promotion Specialist

Health promotion specialists play a key role in efforts to keep communities healthy, both in the United States and around the world. By understanding a community’s needs, then designing and implementing proactive programs to address those needs, they can help improve the health and well-being of the entire community.

The Post-Baccalaureate Certificate in Public Health program at Augusta University Online focuses on topics such as health management and policy, the fundamentals of health promotion, environmental health, epidemiology and biostatistics. For students who wish to continue their education beyond earning the certificate, the coursework counts toward the completion of the online Master of Public Health program. Learn more about how to improve a community’s health through prevention and education.

Sources:
NEJM Catalyst, “Power and Participation: How Community Health Centers Address the Determinants of the Social Determinants of Health”
Indeed, “How to Become a Health Promotion Specialist (Complete Guide)”
Think Global Health, “The Future of Community Health Workers in Global Health”
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Health Education Specialists
Zippia, Health Promotion Specialist Demographics and Statistics in the US
Zippia, “Health Promotion Specialist Skills for Your Resume and Career”
Zippia, “What Does a Health Promotion Specialist Do?”
ZipRecruiter, What Is a Health Promotion Specialist and How to Become One