Health behavior lies at the core of any successful public health intervention. While we will examine the behavior of individual in depth in this course, we also recognize by way of the Ecological Model that individual behavior is encouraged or constrained by the behavior of families, social groups, communities, organizations and policy makers. We recognize that behavior change is not a simplistic process but requires an understanding of dimensions like frequency, complexity and cultural congruity. Such behavioral analysis is strengthened through the use of a toolkit of theoretical models and practical frameworks.
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While many of such models and frameworks exist, in this course we will review the Health Belief Model, Social Learning Theory, Theory of Reasoned Action, the Trans-Theoretical Model and the PRECEDE Framework. After building your behavioral analysis toolkit with these examples, you will see that actual behavior change program planning uses a combination of ideas and variables from different models, theories and frameworks. Ultimately we aim to encourage course participants to apply the idea that successful programs are theory based as they go about involving people in improving their health.
Course 4 of 6 in the Foundations of Global Health Specialization
Syllabus
WEEK 1
Dimensions of Health Behavior
We start the course with an introduction to the dimensions of health behavior as well as an outline of what to expect from the rest of the course.
WEEK 2
Individual Behavior, Perspectives, and Interpretations
We continue with theories and models, understanding human behavior, and understanding perspectives. We'll also examine an example of meanings and interpretations using malaria and river blindness as well as an introduction to force field theory and an explanation of using and making models and theories.
WEEK 3
The Health Belief Model and Social Learning Theory
In this module you will be introduced to the Health Belief Model as well as the Social Learning Theory, which will allow you to better understand how to complete your Peer Review in this module, as you will be completing one of each with a case study provided.
WEEK 4
Process Models and PRECEDE
Here you will be introduced to Process Models and take a look at PRECEDE for the first time.
The Precede Framework
In this final module, we discuss the PRECEDE Framework as an extension of the previous module.
