Good health is a critical foundation for self-reliance and provident living. Poor health can interfere with education, employment, food production and storage, financial solvency, and spiritual development—all elements of self-reliance.
“Health is not only the absence of infirmity and disease but also a state of physical, mental, and social well-being.” (World Health Organization)
- A health fair is an educational, interactive event which provides:
- Basic health information.
- Motivation for leading a healthier lifestyle.
- Health screenings.
- Health interventions.
- Local health fairs can:
- Focus on local health issues needing immediate attention.
- Include worldwide issues and help address global health concerns.
- Be organized as:
- Typically calendared events such as a Relief Society activity or a unit educational day.
- Special events such as a senior health fair or a community service activity such as a blood drive.
- Be reduced to topics taught in a classroom setting like a combined priesthood and Relief Society lesson.
- Benefits of health fairs
- Encouraging healthy lifestyle changes can:
- Decrease illness and injury.
- Decrease sick days.
- Decrease health care dollars spent.
- Increase length and quality of life.
- Improve self-image.
- Helping members maintain good health enables them to:
- Progress personally.
- Strengthen their families.
- Serve in the Church and community.
- Providing members with reliable health information:
- Ensures they receive it.
- Encourages them to avoid taking "shortcuts" in eating or exercise habits.
- Helps correct misinformation found in media, in advertisements, and by hearsay.
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| Some Potential Community Partners |
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| Red Cross or Red Crescent agencies |
| Fire or police departments |
| Health care professional groups |
| Family or social service agencies |
| Emergency preparedness groups |
| Agricultural extension services |
- Health fairs can improve and strengthen relations with community partners, while helping to improve members’ health.
- Planning a Health Fair
- Possible Topics for Health Fair Stations
