Chapter Seventeen

Perspectives on Group, Organization, and Community Interventions

Michelle C. Kegler and Karen Glanz

Chapter Seventeen is an overview of the four theoretical approaches to health behavior change discussed in Part Four of this book. There is no additional online content.


Key Points

This chapter

  • Summarizes and synthesizes the four theoretical approaches to health behavior change through groups, organizations, and communities covered in Part Four of this book: (1) community organization and community building, (2) diffusion of innovations, (3) organizational change, and (4) mass media communications.
  • Discusses similarities among the models and draws common themes.
  • Critiques the usefulness of the four approaches for research and practice in health promotion.
  • Highlights new and emerging concepts and strategies for health behavior theories and models at the group, organization, and community levels.