Applying of Positive Deviance Approach to Promote Young Adults’ and Adolescents’ Health: A Literature Review

Abstract

The positive deviance approach assumes that a community’s problems have already been solved. ‘Positive deviants’ succeed despite sharing many of the same constraints as others. Positive deviance, which has its roots in international public health, is increasingly being applied to healthcare, with a various-stage process proposed depending on the setting. However, the quality of current healthcare applications varies, and at each stage of the process, different study designs and methods are used. This paper aims to identify the definition and process of the positive deviance approach and summarize this approach in healthcare and health promotion to promote young adults’ and adolescents’ health. Additionally, examples of interventions based on a positive deviance approach to improve young adults’ and adolescents’ health and recommendations for further studies are also presented.