Courses Details
HBHEQ886: Theory In Action — Using Theory And Models To Understand And Intervene In Public Health
- Graduate level
- Residential
- Winter term(s) for residential students;
- 3 credit hour(s) for residential students;
- Instructor(s): Kristi Gamarel, K. Rivet Amico, (Residential);
- Prerequisites: None
- Advisory Prerequisites: • Completion of HBHEQ 600 (or equivalent health behavior theories course) and a research methods course. • Doctoral standing or permission of instructor.
- Description: HBHEQ 886 focuses on applying theoretical frameworks to the design and evaluation of public health interventions. Students build on conceptual models from HBHEQ 885 to identify mechanisms of change, develop theoretically informed intervention strategies, and critically assess how interventions can advance or inadvertently reinforce health inequities.
- Learning Objectives: By the end of the two-course sequence, students will be able to: • Critically analyze and synthesize scientific literature to evaluate theories, frameworks, and models relevant to health behavior and equity. • Develop conceptual models that integrate multiple theoretical frameworks across levels. • Interpret empirical findings within the context of conceptual frameworks and describe their public health relevance. • Identify and articulate assumptions, implications, and limitations of theoretical approaches. • Map constructs from theory to intervention strategies, mechanisms of action, and measures. • Apply translational and implementation frameworks to intervention contexts. • Critically evaluate how conceptual and intervention models can advance equity or inadvertently reinforce inequities. • Communicate and defend theory-informed models and interventions in writing and oral presentations.


| Department | Program | Degree | Competency | Specific course(s) that allow assessment | HBHE | PhD | Develop an innovative and efficient design for an empirical analysis of an intervention or observational study to address a research question with clear public health relevance | HBHEQ885, HBHEQ886 | HBHE | PhD | Integrate theoretical frameworks (e.g., health belief model, social ecological model) with critical analysis of empirical data to identify gaps in current approaches to health promotion | HBHEQ885, HBHEQ886, preliminary exam |
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