This chapter provides an overview of contemporary social and behavioral science theory use for development, implementation and evaluation of public health and health promotion interventions. | Social and Behavioral Theories 1. Learning Objectives After reviewing this chapter, readers should be able to: • • Define what theory is and identify two key types of social and behavioral science theory that are relevant to public health interventions. Describe the key constructs of four theories that are often used in public health interventions: the Health Belief Model, The Transtheoretical Model and stages of change, Social Cognitive Theory, and the Social Ecological Model. • • Understand the nature of evidence about the relative effectiveness of theory-based interventions. Identify the most important considerations in choosing the right theory to address a health behavior problem in a particular population and context. 2. Introduction • The most successful public health programs and initiatives are based on an understanding of health behaviors and the context in which they occur. Therefore, interventions to improve health behavior can be best designed with an understanding of relevant theories of behavior change and the ability to use them skillfully. • The science and art of using health behavior theories reflect an amalgamation of approaches, methods, and strategies from social and health sciences. This broad range of perspectives from social and behavioral sciences are referred to “social and behavioral science theory” throughout this chapter. Influential work draws on the theoretical perspectives, research, and practice tools of such diverse disciplines as psychology, sociology, social psychology, anthropology, communications, nursing, economics, and marketing. A growing body of evidence suggests that interventions developed with an explicit theoretical foundation or foundations are more effective than those lacking a theoretical base and that some strategies that combine multiple theories and concepts have larger effects. Page 2 2. Introduction This chapter provides an overview of contemporary social and behavioral science
