2002 年 38 巻 p. 121-131
The purpose of health education is to clarify health problems and to raise conscious and competence to fight against them.
Concretely, it attempts promote such competence for citizens or client by giving them a hand in the planning of their health promotion programs on an equality with doctors and nurses.
This paper clarifies the process of citizens' empowerment through health education, viewing the case of activities of health committees called “Hokeniin” in Shonai medical cooperative.
In this medical cooperative, they have a stratified system of learning opportunities based on groups called “Han”, and “Hokeniin” which mediate between citizens and doctors gain such competence and take part in their health promotion independently.