Ecologicla Appraoch GPH 301

Ecological Approach

Targets multiple environmental influences to create long-standing changes in public health.

Risk Environment

Concept that environmental settings significantly contribute to initiating unhealthy or risky behaviors.

Social Etiology

The theory that the underlying cause of a disease lies within socio-cultural environments.

Bronfenbrenner's Model

Studies human development through mutual interactions between individuals and their environmental systems.

Structural Model of Behavior

Emphasizes four critical environmental factors shaping health behaviors: availability, physical/social structures, media.

Availability/Accessibility (Structural Model)

Modifying physical presence or price of products to influence health behaviors.

Physical Structures (Structural Model)

Aspects of the built environment that influence physical activity or injury risks.

Social Structures (Structural Model)

Institutional policies and organizational rules that shape health behaviors.

Effects of Media (Structural Model)

Information channels and advertising used to shape social norms regarding health practices.

Behavioral Ecological Model (BEM)

Extends operant conditioning principles to societal levels using meta-contingencies.

Meta-contingencies

Social reinforcements based on the probability of encountering social consequences for behavior.

Minority Stress Theory

Posits that challenging social environments create chronic, daily stress for minority groups.

Intersectionality Theory

Explains how overlapping social super-structures create distinct oppression or privilege.

Structural Interventions

Altering physical, legal, economic, or regulatory structures to promote health-protective behaviors.

Micro-environments

Immediate social influences and physical resources like peers, family, and local settings.

Macro-environments

Distal environmental factors like public policies, legal regulations, and taxes influencing health.