Because of their rapid growth, the big urban centers contribute to increase health problems. In the city of São Paulo, one can see "the existence of a precarious health condition" when one analyses its health indicators. This is why Health Education, as a way of changing behavior patterns of the health services consummer, becomes important. It makes him concious of the problems and brings him into active participation in the health program. This is, certainly, a wide field of action which needs the Health Educator working in close association with other professionals.
Urbanization; Health education; São Paulo City, (Brazil)
