1. Jennifer Youngs -Health Theory Paper #3- Diffusion of Innovations Theory 1
Your name: Jennifer Youngs
Class: HSC 3208 Health Education Foundations-CRN 10243
Behavior Change Model: Diffusion of Innovations Theory (DOI)
Author (s): Jane T. Bertrand
Article Date: 2004
Date Article summarized: April 10, 2014
Title of Article: Diffusion of Innovations and HIV/AIDS
Publication: published by Journal of Health Communication, Volume 9: 113–121, 2004 Copyright Taylor &
Francis Inc.
Behavior Change Model utilized: Diffusion of Innovations Theory (DOI)
Purpose: The purpose of the Diffusuin of Innovations Theory (DOI), in this article, is to use it as a framework
for HIV and AIDS prevention (Bertrand) . The DOI outlines how a new innovation, practice, object, or idea filters
through a social structure over a period of time, and eventually becomes a social norm (Sharma). It is similar to the
Transtheoretical Model in that it adds a time-dimension to behavior change.
Methodology: The DOI was established by Gabriel Tarde, a French sociologist, in the early 1900s ( Sharma).
According to E.M Rogers, “The Diffusion of Innovations theory is characterized by four elements: an innovation,
communicated via certain channels, over a period of time, to members of a social system (Rogers)”. The hallmark
of the Diffusion of Innovations Theory is that it encompasses the dissemination of the innovation and its adoption by
people in a community in a systematic manner (Sharma). There are many independent variables that contribute to the
effectiveness of the DOI. For example, when evaluating the first construct, which is the innovation itself, one must
consider the following: perceived advantage or perception that the new idea is better than the one it will replace;
compatibility or the perception that the idea is consistent with the values of the potential adopters; complexity, or
perception of the degree to which one understands how to utilize the innovation; demonstratibility or degree in
which it can be experimented with; clarity of results, which evaluates if the outcomes are easily seen; costs, both
tangible and untangible as a result of the innovation adoption; reversibility, which refers to ability to reinstate the
pervious method while halting the new one; pervasiveness, which is how much an innovation requires adjustments,
and reinvention, which refers to the ability of an individual to modify the innovation to accommodate his or her own
preferences (Sharma). Although this article was written in 2004, it refers to members of the gay community in
San Fransisco in the 1980s, who mobilized to educate and persuade others to practice safer sex to help eliminate
the transmission of HIV/AIDS (Bertrand). Bertrand stated that this mobilization led to one of the most effective

2. Jennifer Youngs -Health Theory Paper #3- Diffusion of Innovations Theory 2
HIV/AIDS prevention programs to date, and the campaign was known as STOP AIDS (Bertrand). The second
contruct, communication channels, refers to the technique in which the new information or message is conveyed
between the innovators and the potential adpotors (Sharma). In this article, STOP AIDS advocates utilized all
three types of communication channels: mass media, interpersonal channels, and interactive channels. They
used focus groups, outreach workers, group meetings, media campaigns, word of mouth , and other various
techniques (Bertrand). The third construct for the DOI theory is time, and this construct can take days to years
to be fully adopted (Sharma). The time construct includes a five-step decision process: gaining knowledge about
the innovation; persuasion about the innovation; deciding to adopt or reject it; implementing it; and
confirmation, which includes accepting the final adoption of the innovation or denying it (Sharma). In this case,
the article suggests that the implementation of the innovation to have protected sex, monogamous partners, or to
abstain from sex, has taken many many years, and is still an ongoing process. The last construct of the DOI
theory is the social system, in which people within a society are connected by a shared goal (Sharma). The
social system can be modified by using opinion leaders, social networks, and change agents just as they did in
the STOP AIDS campaign.
Results/conclusion: This campaign was effective in the eyes of STOP AIDS advocates. In 1987, advocates
declared victory, and stopped campaigning because “the rate of new infections dropped precipitously”
(Bertrand). The campaign was re-establlished in 1990 to encourage the younger generation to also practice safe
sex techniques, to once again, slow down the progression of HIV/AIDS transmission (Bertrand).
Critique (so what? Importance): The DOI has been utilized succesfully in several studies. It has been applied
in public health, as well as health promotion and education. Indications show that it is significant because it has
the power and foundation blocks to elicit successful behavior transformations. It does however, have some
limitations. Because new innovations can take time to diffuse through society, it may be better to utilize other
models or theories to see behavior change at a faster rate (Sharma). Another limitation is that a lot of
interventions such as this one, are aimed at lower socio-economic groups, and may not be acceptable for
everyone, which can cause a social gap (Sharma).

3. Jennifer Youngs -Health Theory Paper #3- Diffusion of Innovations Theory 3
References
Bertrand. (2004). Diffusion of Innovations and HIV/AIDS. Journal of Health Communication (9), 113–121.
DOI: 10.1080/10810730490271575
Rogers, E. M. (1995).Diffusion of innovations (4th ed.). New York, N.Y: Free Press.
Sharma, M., & Romas, J. (2012). Theoretical foundations of health education and health promotion (2nd ed.).
Sudbury, Ma.: Jones & Bartlett Learning.