Question

You are interviewing at a major corporation for a newly created position as a health educator.  The position has been described as one that will focus on helping employees become more healthy by modifying or changing selected health behaviors. As a part of the interview, you are asked "of all the theories related to health education/promotion you studied in your college courses, which one do you think will have the greatest application to your work here?" Defend your response by explaining how that theory will best fit with the work being done, and how others would not. Write two paragraphs defending your response.

Answer 1

Health promotion model focuses on helping people achieve higher levels of well being.  

Theories of health education are

• Locus of control
• Trans theoretical model of change
• Health belief  model
• Social learning theory
• Theory of reasoned action
• Diffusion

Among these theories, diffusion health education theories has more applications here

Because: it is a new idea or practice are introduced ,accepted and spread through a community/society/group by the actions or inaction of key ' early adopters ' who are seen as acceptable or desirable .

for diffusion occurred there must be

• Innovation
• A person who know about innovation
• another person who does not yet know about the innovation.  

advantage : innovation seen a improvement or better  

●locus of control: an individual's belief relan ated to their abilities to influence their personal health and health out come. In general more internally oriented the person ,more positive their health outcome ,where as external individual tend to experience poorer health outcome. So this theory is not good for this situation.

●trans theoretical model of change : or stage of change : Individual readiness to change or attempt to change based on their positioning or placement within the model, non linear process in which the person may enter at various points

●health belief model: an individual's heath related behaviour depend on

1. Perceived susceptibility to illness
2. Perceived potential severity of illness
3. Perceived benefits of taking preventative action
4. Perceived barrier to taking that action.

Basically scaring someone into action before it's too late.

●social learning theory: behavioural change is affected by

1. environmental influences
2. Personal factors
3. Attributes of behaviour itself

Most importantly the person believes in his or her capability to perform their behaviour. (Self efficacy)

●theory of reasoned action: individual performance of a given behaviour is primarily determined by a person's intention to perform that behaviour.  

summary

• good theory is diffusion (in this situation)

•problem with other theories are explained under the respective headings .