CPT-32306 Behavioural Interventions for Health

Course

Credits 6.00

Language of instruction:

English.

Assumed knowledge on:

The content of the courses Introduction to Strategic Communication (CPT-12306) and Social Psychology (MCB-10806).

Contents:

Many major health issues are influenced by human behaviours. For instance, many chronic diseases such as obesity, diabetes, and cancers are influenced by diet and physical activity of consumers. But also behaviours by other actors may influence health outcomes. Think of the prescription of antibiotics in human and veterinary medicine, which influences public health through antimicrobial resistance. Consequently, behaviour change is an important target for interventions to address these issues. In this course you learn how to systematically develop interventions to create behaviour change. Different intervention design frameworks are introduced (e.g., intervention mapping, behaviour-centred design, behaviour change wheel) and you learn how to systematically apply these frameworks.

Learning outcomes:

After successful completion of this course students are expected to be able to:
- identify advantages and disadvantages of relevant frameworks for intervention design;
- analyse the behavioural origins of major contemporary health issues;
- apply behavioural theory to understand the nature of health-related behaviours of different actors;
- understand behaviour change techniques;
- identify the most suitable behaviour change techniques for specific intervention targets;
- design an intervention, evaluation and implementation plan.

Activities:

- lectures;
- self-study;
- group work.

Examination:

- assignments (70%);
- exam (30%).
Each component needs a minimum mark of 5.50 to pass.

Literature:

Planning Health Promotion Programs: An Intervention Mapping Approach, 4th Edition
L. Kay Bartholomew Eldredge, Christine M. Markham, Robert A. C. Ruiter, Maria E. Fernández, Gerjo Kok, Guy S. Parcel
ISBN: 978-1-119-03549-7. For the group work, participants will search and read empirical peer-reviewed articles.