BPH430 Community and Behavioral Aspects of Public Health (3 cr.)

Prerequisite(s): BPH400 , HHSM302  
This course introduces students to theories and approaches behind health behavior change.  It is an overview of health behaviors that contribute most dramatically to morbidity and mortality.  This course emphasizes public health interventions and strategies to transform unhealthy behaviors into healthy behaviors, how to promote that change, and barriers to affecting such change.  Behaviors are examined from multiple perspectives – individual, social, environmental – with a systems perspective in mind. Current research and theory are applied to behavior change interventions to better understand the roles of health disparities, policy, current political environments, and contemporary research.

Upon completion of the course, students are expected to be able to do the following:

1. Identify aspects of human psychology and sociology that impact the ability to change behavior.
2. Describe successes and failures in directed health-behavioral changes and causes related to change management.
3. Develop example behavioral change programs, and evaluate their likelihood for success.
4. Examine patterns, outcomes, risk factors, and interventions related to behaviors and associated health problems.