Reference no: EM133675137

1. Vaccinations have become a political issue, especially in America. In today, 's society when people are sniffling or sneezing, our first response is "he or she must have COVID"!! College students are usually very aware of today's problems and are very knowledgeable.

The Health Belief model is one of the most used models because it is used to explain and predict individual changes in health behaviors. Its main strength is that it is easy to implement, apply, and test. Its weakness is that it does not take into account habitual behaviors such as consuming alcohol as social acceptability or dieting to look healthier because of social media (Davies & Mann, 2023).

2. I would like to say that I am pleased that you chose to read about the topic of vaccinations. Unfortunately, the spreading of misinformation in today's age this led to many individuals not getting vaccinated during the pandemic. Vaccines have always been a political, cultural, and religious issue in certain communities. Unfortunately, there are still so many teens in America who aren't able to afford tuition past high school or who grew up in a poor community which made it difficult for these individuals to be aware of the benefits of vaccines. Also, some areas may lack health funding which makes it difficult for the community to ask questions to medical professionals. There are so many barriers that can be in mind!

From the article that you read, it seems that the theories used proved to collect information about the issue at hand and promote vaccination. I believe that specifically in this issue the Health Believe Model is the best theory to use. This is because you get to see what students genuinely think about vaccines to get their thoughts and create ways around that to educate them.

3. There are multiple behavioral change theories and models but, none are more dominant than others. According to the Rural Health Information Hub (n.d.), in order to choose a model or theory, we must look at the problem being addressed, the type of population, and the context. Context can include the setting, environment, or time that the issue or problem is occurring. Many of the models and theories can intertwine with one another and be used together as one may be looking at the individual or group and others looking at the environment or process in place to assist with changes.

One of the more difficult concepts to consider is culture and ethnicity. Differences in certain situations or aspects can affect the morbidity and mortality rates, the prevalence, and social determinants of health. These are important as we don't want to have bias in research.

4. When selecting a theory or model for health promotion or disease prevention, various factors must be considered, including the specific health issue, target population, and program implementation contexts (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2024). Choosing a particular theory, model, or framework can be difficult due to several obstacles. These challenges include vague and inconsistent terminology used in the theory, lack of alignment between the theory and the implementation environment, inadequate measures to assess the theory's effectiveness, and limited empirical evidence to support its efficacy. It is important to note that insufficient understanding and insufficient training in the current theories, models, and frameworks can worsen the challenges faced during implementation. Studies indicate that when developing a decision support tool, it is crucial to consider the factors associated with the theory, model, or framework, the individual or team leading the implementation, and the implementation project itself. Research studies have revealed that many people choose a theory, model, or framework based on convenience or familiarity rather than its suitability for the task at hand. This suggests that the abundance of implementation theories, models, and frameworks hinders the application of knowledge and skills (Strifler et al., 2020).

Furthermore, the scarcity of references in the literature indicates that they are not used frequently. It is important to adopt a systematic and comprehensive approach when identifying and selecting theories, models, or frameworks to ensure the advancement of implementation science and practice. While choosing a widely cited one may have advantages, such as making it easier to compare results across different populations or health behaviors and having more resources available for measurement and operationalization, a careful selection process is crucial (Strifler et al., 2020).

5. I liked how you mentioned how cultural relevance is intended to have a target audience. This reminded me of an article I almost used in the paper we had due yesterday that had to do with culture. In my paper, I went on to compare rural America with urbanized America when it came to the treatment of minorities. Due to discrimination and racism, minorities are facing unequal health care and a lack of resources provided in rural America. When these areas increase diversity, this gives opportunities for minorities that need to seek care in these areas from someone potentially of their own culture. It is shown that when people are of the same ethnicity or culture, they trust each other more (Stets J. E. et al., 2019). Apart from this, your mention of the challenges in selecting theories is spot on. I agree with each one, especially the dynamic nature of health behaviors which is constantly going to change every single year.

6. The purpose of creating theories is to provide explanations, predictions, and comprehension of various phenomena. These theories often challenge and expand existing knowledge within certain limitations of critical assumptions or behavioral predictions (University of Southern California, 2024). In order to select a theory or model to direct health promotion or disease prevention initiatives, it is valuable to take into account various factors. These may include the particular health concern being targeted, the populations that are being served, and the circumstances in which the program is being executed (Rural Health Information Hub, 2024).

Barriers to selecting a theory, model, or framework can arise due to various characteristics. These include inaccurate and inconsistent language, poor compatibility with the implementation context, unavailability of appropriate measures, and limited empirical evidence of effectiveness (Strifler, L., et al., 2020).