20 Mar Social Ecological Model
Discussion 1: Social Ecological Model and Multiple Levels of Influence on Health Behavior
Each day, more than 3,200 adolescents (<18 years old) smoke their first cigarette (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2017).
Only 1 in 5 adults meet the daily recommendation for physical activity (i.e., 150 minutes a week). (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2014)
When you look at these statistics, you might wonder why some adolescents start smoking while others do not or why so many Americans do not exercise regularly. Perhaps you think that health behavior is a personal choice made solely by the individual.
Not so long ago, the personal-choice perspective was a leading point of view held by many health professionals. However, research has shown that an individual’s health behavior and personal choices are influenced by multiple factors that interact with each other (National Cancer Institute, 2005). That is, health behavior is influenced by significant others in our lives (e.g., family and friends); the places where we work, play, and learn (e.g., culture, social norms and values); and our environment (e.g., safe neighborhoods, laws and policies, and access to healthy foods). This recent view of behavior is referred to as a social ecological perspective, which is known in public health as the Social Ecological Model (SEM). As this diagram illustrates, the SEM contains multiple levels of influence that are represented by five highly interactive concentric systems: intrapersonal, interpersonal, institutional, community, and public policy.
This Social Ecological Model provides a lens through which we may examine why people act or do not act to maintain and promote their personal health, that of their families, and that of their communities.
For the purpose of this Discussion and as a means of examining theories and their applications throughout this course, the institutional, community, and public policy levels are combined to represent a community level of influence – because they each represent factors within social systems.
References
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2014). Physical activity: Facts about physical activity. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/physicalactivity/data/facts.htm
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2017). Smoking and tobacco use: Fast facts. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/data_statistics/fact_sheets/fast_facts/index.htm
National Cancer Institute. (2005). Theory at a glance: A guide for health promotion practice. (2nd ed.). Retrieved from https://cancercontrol.cancer.gov/brp/research/theories_project/theory.pdf
For this Discussion:
To prepare:
Read Hayden (pp. v–vi; 1–10; and 225–232).
Read Theory at a Glance (pp. viii; 3–8; and 9–13).
Review Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s “Social Ecological Model.”
Consider how each level of influence of the Social Ecological Model affects individual and organizational health behavior.
Select a personal health behavior or a health behavior you have observed in someone else (e.g., physical activity, eating habits, tobacco use) for this Discussion.
With these thoughts in mind:
By Day 4
Post a comprehensive response for the following:
Describe your selected health behavior.
Then, provide an example of how each level of influence of the Social Ecological Model—intrapersonal, interpersonal, and community—might negatively affect the behavior and explain why.
Finally, suggest one strategy for promoting a positive behavior change at each level. Be specific and be sure to clearly identify the level of influence to which you are referring in your examples and strategies.
Support your Discussion and peer responses with in-text citations and references from specific Learning Resources.
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