1. Theory-Based Health Behavior Change Program
Assignment 2 Design a Theory-Based Health Behavior Change Program A central goal of this
course is to learn the importance of health behavior theory in changing behaviors. In this
assignment, you will apply a health behavior theory to specific health behavior change
through the development of an original hypothetical health promotion for a specific target
population. Part 1: The Proposal- 10 pts 1. Choose a health behavior you want to change 2.
Choose a specific population or group you want to target for your intervention 3. Choose
one of the 5 health behavior theories we covered in class to guide the development of your
intervention for this group 4. Provide a preliminary description of your proposed program
Logistics for Part 1: Print this proposal and bring it to class. Approximately 1 page.
Feedback will be provided before the next class. Part 2: The Paper- 70 pts The goal the
paper is to use behavior theory to propose a health promotion program for your specific
population. The paper should include the following: 1. General description of the health
behavior and why it is important. This will include relevant background information, and
statistics relating to the behavior. Use this information to justify the need for your health
promotion program. How does this health behavior impact health outcomes? 2. Identify a
specific population in which the behavior poses a threat. Use data to support your emphasis
on this population. Also, discuss the problem the behavior poses for health. Visit the Center
for Disease Control webpage on health communication (see “Additional Resources”) and
describe what the CDC suggests in terms of tailoring your program for this audience.3.
Description of the Health Behavior Theory. Explain the basic concepts of the health
behavior theory you chose. Use the Theory at a Glance document” as resources but make
sure the description is in your own words and properly cited. 4. Example in the Literature.
Describe at least two published peer-reviewed scholarly journal articles describing a health
promotion program for the health behavior you chose. Explain how the programs were
applied and the successes and failures noted. Also, identify the behavior theory, model or
framework used in these programs. (Note: It is acceptable if the reviewed literature targets
a different population than the one chosen for your project.) 5. Describe your health
promotion program. Provide a well thought out description of the hypothetical health
behavior change program you would create to address the health behavior in your specific
population. What are the goals of your program? What does your program look like? How
will you implement your program? Who will run your program? How might you fund your
program? How does your program target your specific population? How specifically does
your program apply the chosen health behavior theory to change behavior? Be creative—

2. don’t forget to give your program a name! Logistics for Part 2: The paper should be
approximately 5-7 pages (excluding title and reference pages). You will not be penalized if it
is longer. You must use a minimum of 5 references. The contents of this paper should be
your own work in your own words and you must fully document any material taken from
other sources using APA style (6th Edition) formatting for citations (see library resources
provided on Blackboard for information on citations). Please submit the paper to
Blackboard. This assignment will be uploaded through Turn It In. All work must be your
own and any source material must be properly cited. Part 3: The Presentation- 20 pts You
will present a very brief overview of your proposed program as a “pitch” to a department of
public health. The goal is to secure funding for your program over other possible programs.
Be sure to include the following information: – Program name – Health behavior targeted –
Specific population – Health behavior theory guiding the development of the program –
Brief description of the program itself Logistics for Part 3: All presentations should be 3
minutes and no more than 3 slides (PowerPoint format only). If you run over the allotted
time, you will be cut off. PLEASE PRACTICE YOUR PRESENTATION. Presentations should be
polished and rehearsed. Be creative! Really sell your program. In addition to the quality of
the presentation, PowerPoint slides should be visually stimulating and free from spelling or
grammar mistakes. Please submit Part 3 on Blackboard. If you do not upload your
PowerPoint to Blackboard by the deadline or if you are absent from class during the
presentation day, you will be given a zero for this portion of the assignment. There will not
be an opportunity to make up presentations.