Essential Readings in Health Behavior: Theory and Practice

This key compendium of readings collected by Mark Edberg is an ideal supplement to his best-selling text Essentials in Health Behavior. Organized into parts that parallel the main text, the readings provide students and the instructor with options for exploring issues in more depth. The author introduces each part with his own insightful analysis. Many of the readings address ways in which the theoretical approaches to behavior have been applied in real-world settings both successfully and unsuccessfully. These readings explore: The Links Between Health and Behavior; Health Issues and Behavior; Social/Behavioral Theory and Its Roots; Individual Health Behavior Theories; Social, Cultural, and Environmental Theories; Doing Something About It: The Ecological Perspective and the Move; Communities and Populations as Focus for Health Promotion Programs; Application of Theory: Schools and Worksites; Application of Theory: Communications Campaigns; Application of Theory: Global Health; Application of Theory: High Risk and Special Populations; Evaluation: What Is It? Why Is It Needed? How Does It Relate to Theory?; and Culture, Diversity, and Health Disparities: Are Current Theories Relevant?

Mark Cameron Edberg is Research Associate Professor in the School of Public Health and Health Services, Department of Prevention and Community Health, and in the Department of Anthropology at George Washington University in Washington, D.C.