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Zoé Mónika Lipták & Klára Tarkó: Everyday health concept – Misconceptions, naive theories, myths or lay interpretations

The notion of misconception varies widely. It may stem from misinterpretation or a lack of thorough observation of the facts, but may also reflect a mere lack of information. Misconceptions can be described as ideas that are based on experience, and lead to a faulty definition of concepts. The self-constructed world can in many cases differ from the scientific concept. If this new knowledge differs from the current system of interpretation, it is unable to integrate properly, and a misconception may arise. Although children and young people receive the necessary knowledge during the educational process, they cannot explain at a scientific level what they experience in everyday life. One less researched area on misconceptions is the existence of health-related misconceptions, and their impact on the health behavior and health status of the rising generation. Their mapping provides an opportunity to develop sustainable knowledge by which a more health-conscious generation can grow up. The extra information attached to a stable, correct foundation that appears during learning allows for the development of more sustainable knowledge. In addition, foreign studies show that people’s health misconceptions influence what therapy they accept for a particular disease, what medical services they use, and what lifestyle they follow. With this in mind, it is paramount for educational institutions to recognize the importance of health education. School, as a secondary socialization medium, plays a major role in shaping children's health behavior. By exploring the misconceptions of prospective teachers about health, identifying the reasons for their formation, and formulating intervention points and methods, the health education activities of public education and higher education can become more effective. In addition, we would like to emphasize the importance and usefulness of health promotion / health sciences, as within the framework of this subject there is a lot of knowledge that helps to prevent the appearance of false beliefs, and prepare young people for a health-conscious lifestyle.

MAGYAR PEDAGÓGIA 120. Number 1. 33-46. (2020)

Levelezési cím / Address for correspondence: Lipták Mónika Zoé, Szegedi Tudományegyetem Bölcsészettudományi Kar Neveléstudományi Doktori Iskola. H–6722 Szeged, Petőfi Sándor sgt. 30–34.

 
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Magyar Tudományos Akadémia