Essentials of Health Behavior (Essential Public Health)

Product Description

Health promotion, education, and prevention programs ultimately focus on changing health behavior. Essentials of Health Behavior: Social and Behavioral Theory in Public Health, Third Edition provides the groundwork for understanding, assessing, and effectively applying theories of human behavior within the practice of public health. In clear and accessible language, this text provides the student with a background of the kinds of social and behavioral theories that guide our understanding of health related behavior and form the background for health promotion and prevention efforts. Filled with real life examples and profiles, the text explores some of the ways in which these theories and approaches are used in applied health promotion efforts. Key Features: -Introduces students to the relationship between behavior and a selection of major health issues – Provides an introductory background to the kinds of social and behavioral theories that guide our understanding of health related behavior and form the background for health promotion and prevention efforts – Explores some of the ways in which these theories and approaches are used in applied health promotion efforts Since the publication of the second edition, health promotion theory has continued to evolve. The third edition keeps pace with developments such as rapidly evolving social media, increased global population diversity, and emerging epidemics, making the book useful and current. The Third Edition offers: – Updates data and examples of application and practice throughout – Information about several new or additional theories has been added to chapters on individual theory and multi-level theory. – A new chapter on behavioral epigenetics — a brand new area of theory that seeks to examine the interaction between social-environmental influences and genetic expression, and the potential impacts on behavior. – New discussion of Dissemination/Implementation research frameworks – An expanded discussion of the social norms construct – Additional material on social network theory.

About the Author

MARK EDBERG, PhD, MA, is Associate Professor in the Department of Prevention and Community Health in the School of Public Health and Health Services at George Washington University, with secondary appointments in the Department of Anthropology and Elliott School of International Affairs. Dr. Edberg is an applied and academic anthropologist with 20 years’ experience in social research, primarily in public health, that has included basic behavioral research, interventions and intervention research, program evaluation, community health promotion, strategic planning and policy development, communications development, and capacity building – both domestic and international. Key areas of focus have been: high risk and marginalized populations, social determinants of health, health disparities, minority health, at-risk youth, prevention of HIV/AIDS and STIs, youth violence, substance abuse, general issues of poverty and health, and theory development. He has been Principal Investigator, Co-Principal Investigator or Project Director on intervention and research efforts funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIH), U.S. Office of Minority Health, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration and other agencies within the Department of Health and Human Services, and has been working with UNICEF in the Latin America-Caribbean region as well as at UNICEF headquarters. He has also provided consulting and support for the Organization of American States, USAID, Urban Institute, and local governments. Dr. Edberg teaches graduate courses in social/behavioral theory and qualitative research, and undergraduate courses in culture and health and social/behavioral theory for health promotion, as well as previous courses for the Department of Anthropology. Dr. Edberg has published numerous articles in journa