STRENGTHENING INDIVIDUAL AND COMMUNITY CAPACITY TO PREVENT DISEASE AND PROMOTE HEALTH - IN SEARCH OF RELEVANT THEORIES AND PRINCIPLES

The dominant theoretical models used in health education today are bas ed in social psychology. While these theories have increasingly acknow ledged the role of larger social and cultural influences in health beh avior, they have many limitations. Theories seek to explain the causes of health problems, whereas principles of practice, which are derived from practical experience, assist interveners to achieve their object ives. By elucidating the relationships between theory and practice pri nciples, it may be possible to develop more coherent and effective int erventions. The key research agenda for health education is to link th eories at different levels of analysis and to create theory-driven mod els that can be used to plan more effective interventions in the compl ex environments in which health educators work.