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Theory Of Planned Behavior

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In the Public Field, we are constantly applying theories in order to better understand how the public works and to better assist the communities in different aspects of health. According to Glanz, Rimer, and Viswanath (2008), theories in which focus on beliefs and actions of individuals are the first theories of health behavior that are still being practiced around the world today. The individual theories either known as intrapersonal theories that are still being used today are the following: Health Belief Model (HBM), Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB), Transtheoretical Model (TTM), and the Precaution Adoption Process Model (PAPM) (Glanz, Rimer, & Viswanath, 2008). Each one of these individual theories can be applied to different scenarios …show more content…

The concept behind the Health Belief Model is to motivate/encourage people to take positive actions that will lead them towards making better decisions (ReCAPP, 20115). There are four constructs (P’s) followed by two concepts in the Health Belief Model which includes the following: Perceived Susceptibility, Perceived Severity, Perceived benefits, Perceived barriers, cues to action, and self-efficacy (Glanz, Rimer, & Viswanath, 2008).
Theory of Planned Behavior is influenced by an individual’s attitude towards a health behavior (Cameron, Ginsburg, Westhoff, Mendez, & Roque, 2012). The Theory of Planned Behavior according to Glanz, Rimer, & Viswanath, (2008), provides a systematic method that helps determine the issues that are most important to a person’s decisions after having performed a specific behavior. The constructs obtained in the Theory of Planned Behavior are: attitudes, behavioral intentions, subjective norms, social norms, perceived power, and perceived behavioral control (Boston University School of Public Health, …show more content…

Although many programs apply these theories, there can be advantages and disadvantages of integrating them into prevention programs. A disadvantage in theories in which actions are required in a program is that policy or social context could be affected (Glanz, Rimer, & Viswanath, 2008). Mammography screening is an example of this. Policies may require that the women test at a certain age. One of the advantages of integrating these theories into prevention programs is that these theories can be useful to find out why people are not following positive health behaviors (National Institute of Health, n.d.). An example would be of a person who over eats due to his or her situation at home. Therefore, the program may want to incorporate the Health Belief Model to change the way they think about that health behavior. The second advantage of applying a theory to a prevention program is that theories allow us to understand targeted health behaviors (National Institute of Health, n.d.). In an addiction program, it would be important to understand targeted health behaviors in order to know which form of intervention is going to be assessed in the

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