Social and Theoretical Determinants of Health

DUE: December 5 at 11:59 pm.
Respond to each question below. Number each response with the question number.It is not necessary for you to re-type the questions before you provide your responses.
Number each response with the exam question that corresponds to that number.
Unless designated otherwise, do not submit more than one single-spaced page for any question.
You can include citations inside your responses, but you do not need to provide a reference page. There is also no need to include full references at the end of each individual answer.
Submit your exam as a single PDF document, with each response clearly labeled by question number and ordered sequentially from 1 - 5.
1. In this course, it has been described that there is a disconnect between research and practice in public health. This is the case in terms of how the determinants of behavior, particularly those understood through a theoretical lens, are treated. Researchers tend to focus heavily on theoretical determinants of behavior while practitioners often focus directly on changing a behavior without the benefit of understanding the determinants and using theory to help them in their work. At this point in the class, you have demonstrated the capacity to understand behavior within the context of its determinants and with the added benefits of health behavior theory. Please provide THREE broad recommendations for actions that public health (as a field) could undertake that you believe would help to increase the capacity of community-based organizations to take advantage of a more scientific approach to understanding behavioral determinants through a theoretical lens. For each recommendation, provide a brief explanation of why you make this recommendation and how it would be beneficial to our field.
2. You have been selected to give a speech to the undergraduate honors society. They have asked you to inspire the audience and to convince them that the study of behavior is important to public health. What would you say to them? Think about all the things you have learned so far this semester and prepare a brief speech (no more than 1 single-spaced page) that you would use to give an inspiring talk to students considering a major in public health. Use examples from life and your own interests in health to give life to your speech and to convince them that we can make changes in public health outcomes by a more focused approach to the study of health behavior.
3. Research that incorporates theoretical perspectives can be helpful to our ability to improve our community-based efforts. You have had the opportunity to read several research papers that have described such efforts for our theories discussed thus far. Choose two of the following papers that you have read: (Reece, 2003 HBM paper), (Basta, Wilson, Reece, 2008 TTM paper), or (Lederer & Middlestadt, 2014 TRA/TPB paper).
For each paper you choose, write an essay (approximately one-half page single spaced each) that describes: a) a brief overview of how theory helped to understand a specific behavior as described in that study, and b) how you would use the specific findings from that study to inform the development of a program that is related to that behavior. Put both of your half-page responses on a single page and submit it in the respective folder.
4. Some public health professionals remain confused about the extent to which theory can be helpful to their work. In this course, theories common in public health have been described as: a) being helpful to understanding health behavior, and also as b) providing a valuable framework for the design of programs that are intended to influence health behaviors and health outcomes. Write a compelling explanation of how theories and their underlying concepts and constructs support public health as described in these two ways.
5. Some people confuse the social determinants of health and theoretical determinants of health. While it could be the case that they have some similarities, some overlap, and that they could be influenced by one another, they are not the same thing.
In your response:
a) provide a general description of the differences between social determinants of health (as a broad concept) and theoretical determinants of health,
b) for each of the social determinant-theoretical determinant pairs below, provide a brief description of each part of the pair (describe the social determinant and theoretical determinant in your own words), and
c) for each pair below, provide a brief description of how the specific social determinant of health (as understood today) might influence the specific theoretical determinant (as originally conceptualized).
Pairs
1. Employment and Perceived Barriers
2. Community Cohesion and Cues to Action
3. Policy/Politics and Attitude Toward the Behavior