Like an artist, a program planner who grounds health in theory creates innovative ways to address specific circumstances. He or she does not depend on a "paint-by-numbers" approach, re-hashing stale ideas, but uses a palette of behavior theories, skillfully applying them to develop unique, tailored solutions to problems.
-U.S. Department of Health and Human Services,
-National Institutes of Health, National Cancer Institute,
-Theory at a Glance: A Guide for Health Promotion Practice
Health theories provide both a conceptual basis for public health programming and a framework to support its design, planning, implementation, and evaluation. They can explain why a health condition or issue might exist (explanatory theory) or what might work to mitigate a public health issue (change theory). Health theories are often integrated into health promotion models (Fertman & Allensworth, 2010). One theoretical health promotion model frequently used is the MAP-IT Model, developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for the Healthy People 2020 Initiative.
For this Discussion, choose a health theory from the Learning Resources that would apply to your SPP.
Post 3-4 pages of description of the health theory that you are using in your Scholarly Project. Then, explain how your chosen theory would inform your use of the MAP-IT Model. Explain two benefits and two limitations of using the MAP-IT Model in your SPP.