Behavior change (public health)

Behavior Change (Public Health)

Behavior Change in the context of Public Health refers to efforts put in place to influence the health behavior of individuals or communities. The pronunciation is /bɪˈheɪvjər tʃeɪndʒ/. The term is derived from the English words "behavior" which means the way in which one acts or conducts oneself, especially towards others, and "change" which means to make or become different.

Overview

Behavior change is a key component in public health interventions and is often targeted at individuals or communities to improve their health outcomes. This can be achieved through various strategies such as health education, health promotion, policy changes, and environmental change.

Strategies for Behavior Change

There are several strategies used in public health to bring about behavior change. These include:

• Health Belief Model (HBM): This model posits that people's beliefs about whether or not they are at risk of a disease, their perceptions of the benefits of trying to avoid it, and their ability to successfully avoid it, influence their readiness to act.

• Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB): This theory suggests that behavior is determined by intentions, attitudes (beliefs about a behavior), and subjective norms (beliefs about others' attitudes toward a behavior).

• Transtheoretical Model (TTM): This model proposes that individuals move through different stages of change (precontemplation, contemplation, preparation, action, maintenance, and termination) in the process of changing their behavior.

Related Terms

• Health Behavior
• Health Promotion
• Preventive Healthcare
• Public Health Intervention

See Also

• Health Education
• Health Communication
• Social Marketing
• Community Mobilization

External links

• Medical encyclopedia article on Behavior change (public health)
• Wikipedia's article - Behavior change (public health)

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