Question

Incorporating Theory in Health Promotion

• Select a health problem and target group and discuss how you would apply the Diffusion Acceleration Model to that problem and target group. Be prepared to share your discussions with the rest of the class.
• Describe the potential benefits of community involvement with regard to health promotion strategies.
• Identify and discuss the characteristics of community-based participatory research.
• Discuss the ways in which community-based participatory research differs from the traditional research approach.

Answer 1

1. Diffusion acceleration model for behaviour change and social mobilization is solely based on basic human behaviours. The application of modern communication logic to the traditional learning processes is the principle of diffusion acceleration model. People will generalize the rules depending on the actions of the majority of the people.

The misbelief in the community contributing to the health problems can be minimized by the diffusion acceleration model. This model can be implemented in the Latino community were diabetes causes a 50% higher death rate within the community in comparison with other groups or populations as a whole (CDC, 2015). The certain contributing beliefs in the Latino community can be eliminated by diffusing healthy beliefs like moderate obesity denotes good health.

2. Community participation in health promotion strategies

Community participation is the essential component of the health promotion strategies in the community. The community participation differs greatly from place to place. Community participation is the essential component in the improvement of the overall health of the community.

Health promotion is the process of ensuring people’s control over their health and improve their health. To achieve the highest level of health the community must be able to identify and realize aspirations, to meet the needs, and must be able to cope with the environment.

Community leaders: The community leaders can be utilized to instil healthy beliefs in the community.

Health education: the healthy behaviours can be promoted in the community be health education.

The people in the community can influence their own community than people from outside the community. The health of the people in the community can only be improved by their participation in prevention, promotion and maintenance of health.

3. Community-based participatory research (CBPR) is the involvement of the community in all phases of the research process as full and equal partners.

CBPR focuses on the social, structural, and physical environmental inequities. These can be focused by the active involvement of community members, organizational representatives, and researchers in all phases of the research process. The participants help to understand a given phenomenon by contributing their expertise and utilize the knowledge gained with action to improve the community involved.

Characteristics of the CBPR approach are:

a. Recognizing the community as a unit of identity

The community is the fundamental unit of identity in the CBPR. This fundamental unity involves in all phases of the research process.

b. Building on the strengths and resources of the community

CBPR is based on the strengths and resources of the community. The existing strengths and resources are utilized in the CBPR.

c. Promoting co-learning among research partners

The CBPR must be beneficial to the research partners like community members, researcher and organizational representatives involved in the research.

d. Achieving a balance between research and action that mutually benefits both science and the community

The CBPR must contribute to the science and community. Both the entities must be benefitted from the research.

e. Emphasizing the relevance of community-defined problems

The CBPR must be based on the relevant problems in the community.

f. Employing a cyclical and iterative process to develop and maintain community/research partnerships

The CBPR must be frequentative and regularly repeated process to ensure community - research partnerships

g. Disseminating knowledge gained from the CBPR project to and by all involved partners

The results obtained from the CBPR project must be circulated among all the partners.

h. Requiring long-term commitment on the part of all partners

For a successful CBPR long term commitment of all partners is needed.

4. Traditional vs. Community-based Research

Research objectives:

Traditional: Objectives are issues identified based on epidemiologic data and also based on the funding opportunities

CBPR: The entire community participation in identifying problems of greatest importance

Study Design:

Traditional: The selection of study design is solely based on scientific rigour and feasibility

CBPR: study design selection is with the involvement of community representatives

Recruitment & Retention:

Traditional: Approaches based on scientific issues and hypothesis regarding selection and retention of participants

CBPR: The community representative can give directions on recruitment and retention strategies.

Instrument Design:

          Traditional: Instruments are usually adapted from other similar researches.

                   

CBPR: Instruments are developed with the help of community input and evaluated in similar populations

Intervention Design:

          Traditional: Interventions are designed based on literature and theory

CBPR: Interventions are designed with the help of community members.

Analysis & Interpretation :

Traditional: Researchers collect the data, conduct analysis and interpret the findings

CBPR: Data is shared with all the participants and all the participants work together to interpret results

Dissemination:

Traditional: Results are usually published in peer-reviewed academic journals

CBPR: Community members will assist to identify appropriate venues to disseminate results and involve in dissemination. The results can also be published in peer-reviewed journals.