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Guiding Schema for Final Paper

 

 

For this final project, you will work with a partner. Choose a public health issue of your choice and a theory that you would like to use to change the health behavior or apply an intervention. The following paragraphs outline the requirements of the final project.

 

Make sure to provide references to support all claims. A “claim” is any statement of fact or interpretation that can be challenged. All evidence cited in your paper – for mortality/morbidity trends, race/SES disparities, risk factors, etc. – must be supported with citations. Be sure that in-text and end-of- document citations are properly formatted in APA.

 

 

1. Introduction of the health issue and priority population (10 points Total)

Define/describe the public health problem and the population of interest (e.g., age range, geography, urbanicity). Comprehensively summarize the behavioral risk factors and/or social/environmental determinants of the problem that have been identified in the literature. (5points)

 

State the health outcome that your group has selected to address in the target population. Using research and other literature, review how much of a problem it has been to achieve the desired health outcome in your target population or populations similar to your target population. Make sure to discuss the specific priority or targeted population and the relationship between the priority population and the health problem/issue. Make sure to provide reasons for choosing this behavior compared to other behaviors that come into play in the literature you have reviewed. This might include the prevalence of the priority population performing this behavior. (5 points)

 

2. Introduction of the theory of your choice & justification of choice of theory or theories (10 points Total)

 

Identify a health behavior theory that has (or could be) applied to modify determinants of the public health problem. Describe how the theory’s constructs have been applied to prevent or treat the problem by addressing its behavioral and social determinants. Provide details about the historical origins of the theory and the main people and research studies that informed the theory’s development. (3 points)

Explain what makes the theory a good fit for addressing health outcome in this target population. In your justification, discuss at least one theory that you considered, but discarded for solving the problem. Explain the relative merits of the constructs from your chosen theory compared to constructs from the one or more discarded alternative theories. (2 points)

 

In a table format, list the constructs from the theory or theories, and their formal definitions. In a third column, provide a definition of each construct using your specific topic and target population (see example below). State relationships between constructs, if articulated in the theory. Also, discuss if the theory addresses how constructs relate to external variables, such as physiological functions, personality traits, sociodemographic attributes (e.g. gender, age, race/ethnicity, income), interpersonal factors, and to structural or social determinants of health. (5 points)

 

 

Theory: Social Cognitive Theory Outcome: Increased awareness of career options and career planning Outcome measure: Score on the Career Development Index scale Target population: 7th graders at Trotter elementary school in Dorchester
Theory constructs	Formal definition	Applied definition
Reciprocal determinism	The constant and dynamic relationship between people, their behaviors, and their environment (environment can be physical, social, political, etc.)	Increasing the knowledge of career options and career planning is a function of environmental factors (e.g. careers in student’s social network), personal factors (e.g. types of jobs that appeal to student), and behavior (e.g. current levels of knowledge). These factors are in constant reciprocal relationship where change in one influences all the others. For the intervention to impact behavior, it must address how the environment influences the person and will affect the ability of the individual to take on the desired behavior.
Environment/ situation	This construct relates to historical, political, physical, social and other factors that are external to individuals. Situation is the individual’s perception of these factors.	Environment/situation includes barriers to observational learning such as the lack of opportunities in students’ social network and physical environment to interact with a wider array of career options. For example, students may not consider being school teachers or principals as career options if their racial/ethnic or socioeconomic profile is not represented among the teachers at their school. Other important environmental considerations include media (e.g. suggesting the only successful career options are in sports or entertainment). Students may have limited bandwidth for school, given difficult family backgrounds (trauma, refugee, poverty), and living in neighborhoods with limited resources. Given the race/ethnicity composition of the student body, career awareness may also be limited by barriers to employment faced by racial/ethnic minority populations in labor markets.

 

 

 

 

3. Description of major criticisms related to your theory of choice (Total 7 points)

Clearly identify any unresolved conceptual or measurement issues with your chosen theory. Discuss any limitations of using the theory for your specific outcome, population or context. In concluding this section, communicate why your chosen theory is still the best choice among the theories covered in the course, despite its limitations.

4. APA Citations (Total 3 points)

You must use APA format for referencing/citations. You must reference at least 10 scholarly sources in your project in proper APA format. You can use Mendeley, Zotero or the MS Word’s Reference tool to cite sources. Make sure to include a bibliography of the sources at the end of the project.

 

Struggling with where to start this assignment? Follow this guide to tackle your assignment easily!>

Step-by-Step Guide for Students:

1. Select a Public Health Issue and Target Population

   • Choose a health problem with documented behavioral, social, or environmental determinants.

   • Identify a priority population (age, location, socioeconomic status, etc.) most affected by the issue.

   • Research prevalence, risk factors, and barriers using peer-reviewed sources.

2. Define Health Outcome

   • Decide what behavior or outcome you aim to improve.

   • Gather evidence on past attempts to improve the outcome in your target population.

   • Explain why this outcome is most relevant for your population.

3. Choose a Health Behavior Theory

   • Examples: Social Cognitive Theory, Health Belief Model, Theory of Planned Behavior, Transtheoretical Model.

   • Research the theory’s history, main contributors, and key studies.

   • Identify its constructs and how they apply to your health issue.

   • Compare to at least one alternative theory and justify your selection.

4. Create a Theory Constructs Table

   • Columns: Construct, Formal Definition, Applied Definition (specific to topic and population).

   • Include relationships between constructs and external factors (age, gender, social determinants).

   • Use examples to clearly illustrate how constructs influence behavior.

5. Discuss Criticisms and Limitations

   • Identify conceptual or measurement weaknesses.

   • Discuss any limitations specific to your population or health outcome.

   • Conclude why your chosen theory remains the best choice.

6. Draft Your Paper

   • Introduction: Public health problem, priority population, and selected outcome.

   • Theory Section: Overview of the theory, constructs table, and justification.

   • Criticisms: Limitations and discussion.

   • Conclusion: Summarize application and relevance.

7. APA References and Citations

   • Cite all evidence supporting claims.

   • Include at least 10 scholarly sources.

   • Use tools like Mendeley, Zotero, or Word Reference for formatting.

   • Double-check in-text and reference list accuracy.

Helpful Resources:

• APA Citation Guide: https://apastyle.apa.org/

• PubMed for Public Health Research: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/

• CDC Behavioral Health Theories: https://www.cdc.gov/healthyschools/npao/behavioral-theories.htm

• Social Cognitive Theory Overview: https://www.healthknowledge.org.uk/public-health-textbook/research-methods/1b-health-behaviour/theories-health-behaviour

 

 

 

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