BSHE 500 Take Home Exam 1 Essay - 1689 Words

The social ecological framework was presented in class as providing many possible avenues for research and program implementation. Using the required readings and lectures, write about the pros and cons of a social ecological framework for understanding health behaviors and designing health promotion programs. Your analysis should lead to a conclusion about the framework. The social ecological framework comprises of person-focused and environment-focused interventions designed to promote health. The social ecological framework can be used as an ideal tool for addressing a broad range of public health issues and implementing new health promotion programs due to its wide scope of integrating behavioral and environmental changes. Variations†¦show more content†¦The programs were also successful because they implemented a wide array strategies, such as community mobilization and development, urban planning, policy, enforcement and advocacy. There are some challenges, as well, in implementing health promotion programs that use the social ecological framework. One main challenge is that programs are expensive and complex to implement in certain community settings. Also, there needs to be close coordination and collaboration between individuals and groups. In the article by Wagemakers et al., the authors developed a framework that links the domains of social environment and health, with key health predicting mediators, and operational variables of participation and collaboration (6). They based this framework on experience in case studies, audits of community health programs in the Netherlands, and ideas found in the literature. The authors offer four key guidelines on how to apply the framework that can help increase community participation and collaboration. These guidelines are: use the variables as a menu, set specific aims for social change processes, use an action research approach and triangulate data. This framewor k can be used to evaluate the effectiveness of community health promotion designs and address the challenges faced in implementing new programs. In conclusion, the social ecological