Course Descripton:
The purpose of this course is to provide the graduate student with the opportunity to explore the theoretical issues and current methodologies related to understanding and influencing health behavior change. Conducted in a seminar style, this class will focus on the determinants of health-related behavior from the perspective of the individual, his family, culture, and the society in which he lives. Special emphasis will be given to the analysis of health-related behavior using a systems approach that incorporates the application of theory and selected methods in the planning of health behavior change interventions.
Course Objective:
Following participation in HSCI 533, the student will be able to:
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Identify and discuss selected theoretical issues and models associated with influencing health-related behavior change.
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Identify and discuss current methodologies for influencing health-related behavior change.
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Identify and apply appropriate evaluative measures for assessing the effectiveness of selected intervention strategies employed to influence health-related behavior change.
Course Requirements:
As this course will be conducted in a seminar style, all students will be expected to have prepared for each class session and to actively participate in all seminar discussions and experientials.
The seminar provides an opportunity for the student to react to readings, explore their understanding of material under discussion and to seek ways to apply their understanding to the Individual Projects each student will be engaged in. Students coming to class unprepared (not reading assignments, etc.) will be dismissed since preparation for each class session is essential to an active and stimulating seminar encounter with their instructor and peers.
Be Prepared To Be Questioned About Your Readings!
In addition, students will be expected to complete the following class assignments:
I. Conduct two brief interviews using informants of your choice for presentation in the third class session. The focus of these interviews will be on the major features of your informant’s concepts of "health" and "disease" as these relate to their current health practices. Based on your interviews and readings for the third class session, develop a short paper based on the Health Belief Model discussed in the book in which you consider the implications of health beliefs on real or potential health behavior practices. Your informants are to be kept anonymous though you will be expected to provide some demographic information on them in order for the class to have a frame of reference for your class presentation. (30 points)
II. An individual project whose focus is on the identification, assessment, intervention and subsequent evaluation of a specific health-related problem working with a volunteer of your choice who claims to want to make a change related to the problem they claim to have. Your volunteer will remain anonymous throughout the semester and must be willing to participate in your project without any pressure from you to do so. You, as the student, have the option of using yourself for your project. The specific elements of the project will include the following three papers:
- A Project Prospectus Paper worth 30 points
- An Assessment and Intervention Plan (un-graded)
- A Project Evaluation Paper worth 100 points
Specific details for each paper are presented elsewhere in this course syllabus
III. One outside reading related directly to the seminar on Assessment and Evaluation for Health Behavior Change. (5 points)
Please note that all written work will be evaluated on the basis of thoroughness of responses to the prescribed elements of each required paper. In addition, papers will be graded on appearance, spelling, grammar, and punctuation.
Grading Policy and Grade Spreads:
Final grades for this course will be derived from the total number of points accumulated by each student in the individual project, brief interview assignment, and outside reading. The total point value possible for this course is 165.
The grade spread for this course is as follows:
| A | = 157- 165 | C+ | = 126 - 131 |
| A- | = 148 - 156 | C | = 120 - 126 |
| B+ | = 142 - 147 | C- | = 114 - 119 |
| B | = 137 - 141 | <C- | = F |
| B- | = 132 - 136 |
It is the policy of the course instructor that any paper or outside reading turned in late will receive an automatic 5-point deduction...No Exceptions!
Required Text:
Glanz, Karen; Lewis, Frances Marcus; and Rimer, Barbara K., Editors. Health Behavior and
Health Education: Theory, Research and Practice. Jossey-Bass Publishers, San Francisco. 1990. (3rd Edition)
Prochaska, J.O.; Norcross, J.D.; and DiClemente, C.C. Changing For Good. William Morrow and Company, Inc., New York. 1994.
Recommended Text:
Elder, John P.; Geller, E. Scott; Hovell, Melbourne F.; and Mayer, Joni A. Motivating Health
Behavior. Delmar Publishers, Inc., New York. 1994.
Gochman, David S. (Editor). Health Behavior: Emerging Research Perspectives. Plenum Press,
New York. 1988.
Shumaker, Sally A.; Schron, Eleanor B.; and Ockene, Judith K., Editors. The Handbook of
Health Behavior Change. Springer Publishing Company, New York. 1990.
Zimbardo, P.; Ebbeson, E.; and Maslach, C. Influencing Attitudes and Changing Behavior.
Random House, New York. 1977.
Watzlawick, P.; Weakland, J.; and Fisch, R. Change: Principles of Problem Formation and
Problem Resolution. W.W. Norton & Company, New York. 1974.
* Periodically, the instructor will provide opportunities for small group sharing of individual projects with discussion in larger class sessions. In addition, as the first two individual project papers will not be graded, the instructor will provide feedback as to where he feels each paper stands with respect to a grade. This is only to help the student ascertain how well they are doing with respect to their individual project.
Course Links:
Class Schedule
Individual Project Final Paper