The Interplay Between Health Promotion, Health Education, and Instructional Design

Abstract

This chapter provides an overview of the theoretical foundations of health education. Although health education theories and models are many, the chapter focuses on the most popular four: the health belief model, the theory of reasoned action and theory of planned behavior, the transtheoretical model of change, and the social cognitive theory. These models are explained through a scenario that highlights determinants of health behavior and how they can be used by health educators to plan behavioral change. The chapter continues with basic instructional design principles that guide the development of health education interventions, stressing the interplay between health education and instructional design. Lastly, the chapter ends with a brief synopsis of two widely used health education planning models, PRECEED-PROCEDE and intervention mapping, to provide a systems perspective to health education interventions.