USING DIFFUSION-THEORY IN HEALTH PROMOTION - THE CASE OF TOBACCO

Diffusion theory can profitably be applied to a range of health proble ms and interventions. This paper uses the case of tobacco to illustrat e this process. The diffusion of innovations model refers to the sprea d of new ideas, techniques and behaviours or products throughout popul ations. Those who adopt at different phases of the process tend to dif fer in predictable ways, such as age, sex, residence, socioeconomic st atus and level of access to communications, each of which can be emplo yed to affect the overall rate of adoption. A series of perspectives a re employed to examine aspects of the diffusion process for tobacco us e. Examples from the tobacco area are used to illustrate ways in which the diffusion model can be applied in the field. Applications of the model for prevention are presented and discussed.