week 2 C

Community Health Education Theory as Foundation

Community health education theory guides not only why but how you approach a public health problem. Knowing how to apply theory appropriately is important, but choosing a theory that fits your public health education, research, or intervention endeavor is a vital first step. Choosing the wrong theory (or applying the right theory incorrectly) can be as harmful to a study or intervention as not having a theoretical foundation at all. Public health endeavors that are solidly grounded in theory are likely to be viewed as more valid than those that are solely based on intuition, experience, and prior research. Grounding public health education, research, or interventions in theory does not guarantee success, but it does increase the likelihood of achieving desired outcomes.

For this Discussion, research the current public health literature, and select a study that uses community health education theory as its foundation. Consider the study outcomes in light of the theory that was used.

With these thoughts in mind:

Post a description of the community health education theory from the article you selected. Then, explain how it was applied in the study. Finally, explain how the health education theory in the article contributed to success or failure of the intervention in the study.