Here are the instructions
This week, each of you will write your own post. Here are the steps:
1. Select a health issue
2. Select a population affected by this issue
3. Identify a behavioral target that, if changed, would affect the impact of this health issue on this population (for example, regular exercise as a way to prevent type II diabetes among low income children in a low-income school district)
4. Use constructs from the Health Belief Model to explain why adoption of this behavior may be limited or avoided (explain the status quo), AND support your ideas with ONE PEER-REVIEWED SOURCE (not from the reading list):
Perceived severity
Perceived susceptibility
Perceived benefits
Perceived barriers
5. Briefly describe an educational program that would serve to address ONE of these four constructs. Try to frame your proposal as a hypothesis:
If…Then:
Example: IF we create a lesson plan showing that the risk of diabetes is cut in half by only 20 minutes a day of brisk walking, THEN we may enhance people’s perceived benefits of moderate exercise and decide to make it part of their lives, thus reducing their individual risk of diabetes.
The hypothesis includes your proposed action, the construct it is designed to address, and the hoped-for impact on health. You can elaborate with an additional sentence or two, but it’s helpful to organize one’s thoughts this way when applying theory to behavior and health outcomes.
