Theory in Health Education Practice

Abstract

Although social and behavioral science theories are claimed to be able to contribute greatly to the effectiveness of health education programs, most practitioners in the profession seem to doubt this, and very few ever deliberately use theories in their work. Some reasons for such diverse views reside in the nature of the theories, in the very different roles they play in the worlds of theory-minded and practice-oriented health educators, respectively, in widespread unrealistic expectations of what theories can and cannot contribute to practice, and in lack of appropriate training in theories and their uses. Suggestions are offered to both practicing and academic health educators on ways to bridge the gap between the two camps, to render theories more useful to practitioners, and to train practitioners and health education students to appreciate the potentials of theories and to acquire skills needed to utilize such potentials.

Influence of Behavioral Theory on Fruit and Vegetable Intervention Effectiveness Among Children: A Meta-Analysis

“…Using theory may increase the effectiveness of a behavioral change intervention by providing information on which variables influence a particular behavior. [10][11][12][13] Theory should embody what the behavioral sciences have learned about behavior and its change, identify key constructs demonstrated to predict behavior, and identify procedures to change these constructs to lead to behavior change. 14 Given this, an early review of the dietary change intervention literature made the then bold statement that simply promoting knowledge is insufficient: Interventions based on behavioral theory are more likely to attain dietary behavior change.…”

The Role of Behavioral Science Theory in Development and Implementation of Public Health Interventions

“…However, theory, research, and practice are closely entwined phenomena, not separate issues (27,39,51,56). Practitioners may apply the pragmatic criterion of usefulness to a theory and be concerned mainly with its consistency with everyday observations (17).…”

Using the Theory of Reasoned Action (TRA) to Understand the Decision to Use Condoms in an STD Clinic Population

“…3,4 Although a number of studies have been carried out in recent years with gay and bisexual men, far fewer studies to date have examined the intrapersonal antecedents of condom use in high-risk heterosexual populations.s-9 The current study examines a very high-risk group-adult heterosexuals seeking STD services-from the perspective of Ajzen and Fishbein's theory of reasoned action (trap The TRA is a cognitive model, and application of the theory has provided strong and valid prediction of a variety of health-related decisions, including decisions about abortion,&dquo;. '2 birth planning intentions, 13,14, &dquo; Lamaze childbirth intentions, 16 weight loss,&dquo; blood donation,18,19 infant-feeding decisions,20 signing up for alcohol treatment,21 intentions to use drugs,22 intentions to get flu shots,23 and numerous studies of contraceptive decision making.…”