-HPM 525: Social and Behavioral Aspects of Public Health, Fall 2013
Tuesdays 5:30-8:20pm
School of Public Health, Room C4
Call No. 5175
Gerald Fishman, Ph.D.
Phone: 518-505-7056
Email: [email protected]
Office hours: Tuesday, from 4:30 - 5:30 PM, and by appt. (contact by email)
Course description:
This course provides an introductory analysis of the contribution of behavioral, psychological,
social, organizational, community, and policy level factors in determining the health of populations.
The course will provide students with an overview of important concepts, theories, and methods
from the social and behavioral sciences in order to expand their ability to understand, analyze, and
effectively address public health problems.
Course competencies:
After completion of this course, students should be able to:
1. Apply ethical principles to behavioral health research (Session 1)
2. Explain the main concepts underlying the ecological model of health (Session 2).
3. Describe the contribution of the social and behavioral sciences to public health (Session 1).
4. Describe the basic steps of program planning (Session 9).
5. Have a basic understanding of the purpose and steps of program evaluation (Session 9).
6. Describe what is meant by evidence-based and theory-based approaches to health promotion
program planning, and be able to explain the importance of each (Session 9).
7. Explain individuals’ health-related behavior using a variety of conceptual models and
explanatory theories (Sessions 3 and 4).
8. Describe the relationship between stress and health (Session 5).
9. Explain the theories that describe how social relationships influence health (Session 5).
10. Understand the specific influences on health and health behavior that arise in organizational
settings (Session 6).
11. Identify features of communities and neighborhoods that may influence health and healthrelated behavior (Session 8).
12. Describe how social structural factors can influence health and health-related behavior
(Sessions 10 and 11).
13. Analyze specific public health problems, including health disparities by social status, with
an integrated understanding of the multiple levels of potential influence (Sessions 10 , 11).
14. Identify the specific influences of media on health and health-related behavior (Session 12).
15. Describe the ways in which policies can influence health-related behavior (Session 12).
16. Explain the significance of individual, social, organizational, community, and policy level
factors as determinants of health and health behavior (All).
17. Apply social and behavioral science principles, theories, and research findings to the
development and critical analysis of interventions targeting multiple levels of influence
(All).
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Required textbook and required articles:
Glanz, K., Rimer, B. K., & Viswanath, K. (2008) Health Behavior and Health Education: Theory,
Research, and Practice. 4th Edition. John Wiley & Sons, Inc. San Francisco, CA.
In addition to the required textbook, there are a number of required articles. These articles are
available through the electronic reserve system (ERES) at the UAlbany library. Instructions for
accessing the E-Reserves system are on the back page of this syllabus.
Supplemental Material:
Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (4th or 5th Edition).
A hard copy is approximately $30 new (5th edition) and $6+ used (4th or 5th edition). An online
resource available at http://www.bedfordstmartins.com/online/cite6.html (however the hard copy is
much easier to follow).
Course requirements:
Contribution/class participation
News editorial
Two question and answer papers (each worth 10%)
Midterm exam
Final exam
5%
20%
20%
25%
30%
(Final grading scheme: A-F)
Contribution (5%): This portion of your grade recognizes student contributions to the course
through in class discussions, keeping up to date with the readings, seeking help for assignments in a
timely manner, and working effectively with others in group discussion and the classroom activity.
News Editorial (20%):
Students will be divided into editorial teams for this project, with approximately 3 members per
team. Teams will be assigned to a class session as outlined in class schedule below. For their
assigned class session, an editorial team will write and present a news editorial about a current story
pertaining to the material covered in the class session. The news story should be published in a
reputable national newspaper (e.g. New York Times, the Washington Post, the Chicago Tribune).
Other reputable national or international sources may be used with the instructors’ permission.
Each team is expected to do a 30 minute oral presentation to the class about the editorial (including
time for questions and other interactive activities). In addition, all team members will hand in a
two-page written summary of the editorial with the newspaper article attached. In both the oral
presentation and the written summary, students are expected to provide the following: (1)
information on the source of the story and an overview of the findings reported; (2) a commentary
on how the findings were derived, or what evidence was provided to support the story's themes; (3)
a critique or analysis of the story using knowledge gained from the course readings for the specified
class session (information from readings, lectures, and discussions from other class sessions can
supplement this information); and (4) a comment on the potential health implications of what was
reported in the story. The oral presentation and written summary are each worth 10% of the final
course grade. The team will receive a single score for the oral presentation and individual scores for
the written summaries.
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Question and Answer papers (20% total): Students will complete two Question and Answer papers
(Q & A papers), each worth 10% of the final grade. For each Q & A paper, a series of questions
will be presented and students will chose three of the questions to answer. Each Q & A paper is not
to exceed 3 double-spaced 12-font pages (excluding references). These papers are designed to help
students prepare for the midterm and final exams. The first Q & A paper is due in class on
September 24th and the second on November 12th.
Midterm exam: The midterm exam will be an in-class, closed book exam and will include both
short answer and short essay questions. The exam is scheduled for October 1st , and will cover the
material from the first 5 sessions.
Final exam: The final exam will take place at our regular class time on December 3rd. Like the
midterm, it will be an in-class, closed book exam, with both short answer and short essay questions.
Material from the midterm point of the term will be emphasized on the final exam, though earlier
material may be cited.
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Class policies and expectations:

All students are expected to attend class, participate in class discussions and complete the
required readings. Class absences will need to be justified ahead of time.
Class attendance is mandatory: Class absences will be recorded. If you have a legitimate
reason for missing class, you will need to contact an instructor by noon the day of class.
Emailing or phoning during class or right before class will not be accepted as a legitimate
absence. Two unexcused absences from class will result in a half grade deduction from your
final grade (e.g., B to B-). Missing more than 2 classes will result in your final grade dropping
one full grade (e.g., a B will be reduced to a C).



All assignments are to be handed in on time. A minimum of 5% per day will be deducted for
assignments.
Incompletes - They must be requested prior to the assignment due date. They will only be
granted for special circumstances. Please see the professor for the process and timeline for
requesting and completing an “incomplete”. If the incomplete is not handed in by the timeline
granted by the professor, the result will be a failure grade for the course. Please refer to the
current University at Albany Graduate Bulletin for policies on course withdrawal.
Academic dishonesty, such as plagiarism or unauthorized collaboration on any assignment, will
result in a fail grade for that assignment or exam, and may result in a failing grade for the
course. There will be no exceptions.
Plagiarism: According to University policy, you must correctly cite outside material in your
papers. Directly coping published material without appropriately indicating it is copied and
adequately citing the author(s) and source are examples of plagiarism. Use APA or Numerical
format to ensure that you are properly citing articles.
Please read the Graduate Bulletin, and go on-line to the UAlbany Library Website
http://library.albany.edu/usered/ncplaga/index.html, where there is more information on what
constitutes plagiarism and how to avoid it. For any assignment, feel free to consult with the
professor to get clarification about potential plagiarism issues, PRIOR to handing in your
assignment.
As per University policy, the burden on avoiding plagiarism falls solely on the student.
Please refer to the current University at Albany Community Rights and Responsibilities
(http://www.albany.edu/judicial_affairs/standardsofconduct.html) for policies on academic
dishonesty. Please be advised that professors are required to report instances of academic
dishonesty to the Dean of Graduate Studies.
Any student in this course who has a disability that may prevent him/her from fully demonstrating
his/her abilities should contact me by the second week of class to discuss accommodations
necessary to ensure full participation and facilitate your educational experience.
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HPM 525
Class schedule, Fall 2013
Date and
Session #
Session 1
Aug. 27th
Session 2
Sept. 3rd
Session 3
Sept. 10th
Topic and guest speaker
Course assessment due
Introduction
Ethics in Health Promotion
The Ecological Model
Overview of key health behavior theories
Individual Influences: Health Belief Model,
Theory of Reasoned Action/Planned Behavior
Session 4
Sept. 17th
Individual Influences: Social Cognitive Theory,
Transtheoretical Model
Session 5
Sept. 24th
Interpersonal Influence: Stress and Coping.
Q & A Paper 1
Session 6
Oct. 1st
Session 7
Oct. 8th
Midterm Exam
Midterm Exam
Session 8
Oct. 15th
Session 9
Oct. 22nd
Community Influences
Session 10
Oct. 29th
Social Determinants: Socioeconomic influences
on health (health care access)
Session 11
Nov. 5th
Social Determinants: Race /Ethnicity and
Gender
Session 12
Nov. 12th
Media influences & Policy level influences
Session 13
Nov. 19th
Final Review
Session 14
Nov. 26th
NO CLASS
Session 14
Dec. 3rd
Final Exam
Organizational Influences
Overview of Program Planning and Evaluation
Q & A paper 2
Final Exam
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HPM 525
Reading List Fall 2013
Session 1
Session 2
August 27th
Introduction
Ethics in Health Promotion
Bayer, R. (2006). Ethics of Health Promotion and Disease Prevention.
Available at: http://www.asph.org/UserFiles/Module6.pdf
Childress, J., et al. (2002). Public Health Ethics: Mapping the
Terrain. Journal of Law Medicine and Ethics, 30, 170-178.
September 3rd The Ecological Model
Overview of Health Behavior Theories
McLeroy, K.R., et al. (1988). An ecological perspective on health promotion
programs. Health Education Quarterly, 15, 351-377.
Sallis, J. F., Owen, N., & Fisher, E.B. (2008). Ecological Models of Health
Behavior. Chapter Twenty (pp. 464-485) assigned textbook.
Nigg, C., Maddock, J., Yamauchi, J., Pressler, V., Wood, B., & Jackson, S.
(2005). The Healthy Hawaii initiative: A social ecological approach
promoting health communities. American Journal of Health Promotion,
19(4): 310-313.
Houston, D. J. & Richardson, L. E. (2007). Motorcycle safety and the repeal
of universal helmet laws. American Journal of Public Health, 97(11): 20632069.
Session 3
September 10th Individual influences on health
Health Belief Model (HBM)
Theory of Reasoned Action/Planned Behavior (TRA/TPB)
Champion, V.L. & Skinner, C.S. (2008). The Health Belief Model. Chapter
Three (pp. 45- 65) assigned textbook.
.
Rosenstock, I.M., Strecher, V.J., & Becker, M.H. (1994). The Health Belief
Model and HIV risk behavior change. In R.J. DiClemente & J.L. Peterson
(Eds.), Preventing AIDS: Theories and Methods of Behavioral Interventions
(pp. 5-23). New York: Plenum Press.
Montano, D. E., & Kasprzyk. (2008). The Theory of Reasoned Action and
Planned Behavior. Chapter Four (pp. 67-96) assigned textbook.
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Session 4
September 17th
Individual influences on health:
Social Cognitive Theory (SCT)
Transtheoretical Model/Stages of Change (TTM)
Prochaska, J. O., Redding, C. A., Evers, K. E. (2008). The Transtheoretical
Model and Stages of Change. Chapter 5 (pp. 97-112) assigned textbook
McAlister, A.L., Perry, C.L., & Parcel. G.S. (2008) How Individuals,
Environments, and Health Behaviors Interact: Social Cognitive Theory.
Chapter Eight (pp. 169-188) assigned textbook.
Strecher, V.J., et al. (1986). The role of self-efficacy in achieving health
behavior change. Health Education Quarterly, 13, 73-92.
Session 5
September 24th
Interpersonal influences on health
Social Relationships and Health
Baranowski, T. (1997). Families and Health Actions. In D. S. Gochman
(Ed.), Handbook of Health Behavior Research I, Personal and Social
Determinants. Plenum Press. New York.
Heaney, C. A., & Israel, B. A. (2008). Social Networks and Social Support.
Chapter Nine (pp. 189-210) assigned textbook.
Glanz, K. & Schwartz, M.D. (2008). Stress, Coping, and Health Behavior.
Chapter 10 (pp211-236) assigned textbook.
Cohen, S. (2004). Social relationships and health. American Psychologist.
Nov, 676-684.
Session 6
October 1st
Midterm
Session 7
October 8th
Organizational influences on health
Schools and the workplace
Butterfoss, F.D., Kegler, M.C., & Francisco, V.T. (2008). Mobilizing
Organizations for Health Promotion. Chapter 15 (pp. 335-361) assigned
textbook.
Blake, S.M. et al., (2003). Condom availability programs in Massachusetts
high schools: relationships with condom use and sexual behavior. American
Journal of Public Health, 93(6):955-62.
Chan, A. O. M. & Huak, C. Y. Influence of work environment on emotional
health in a health care setting. (2004). Occupational Medicine. 54; 207-212.
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Kerr, N., et al., (2004). Increasing stair use in worksite through environmental
changes. American Journal of Health Promotion.
Vaananen, A. et al. (2008) Lack of predictability at work and risk of acute
myocardial infarction: An 18 -year prospective study of industrial employees.
AJPH, 98 (12) 2264-2271 (HANDOUT).
Session 8
October 15th
Community influences on health and health behavior
Brown, A.F., Ang, A., & Pebley, A.R. (2007) The relationship between
neighborhood characteristics and self-rated health for adults with chronic
conditions. AJPH, 97 (5): 926-932.
Cohen, D. et al. (2000). “Broken Windows” and the risk of gonorrhea.
American Journal of Public Health, 90, 230-236.
Dannenberg, A.L., et al. (2003) The impact of community design and landuse choices on public health. American Journal of Public Health. 93(9):15001508.
Weitzman, E.R. et al., (2003). The relationship of alcohol outlet density to
heavy and frequent drinking and drinking-related problems among college
students at eight universities. Health and Place, 9, 1-6.
Reichert, F. F., Barros, A, J. D., Domingues, M. R. & Hallal, P. C. (2007).
The role of perceived personal barriers to engagement in leisure-time physical
activity. American Journal of Public Health, 97 (3): 515-519.
Session 9
October 22nd
Overview of program planning and evaluation
Escoffery, C., McCormick, L., & Bateman, K. (2004). Development and
program evaluation of a web-based smoking cessation program for college
smokers: Innovative tool for education. Patient Education and Counseling,
53, 217-225.
Session 10
October 29th
Social Determinants: Socioeconomic factors and
Health Care Access
Singh-Manoux, A. & Marmot, M. (2005). Role of Socialization in Explaining
Social Inequalities in Health. Social Science & Medicine. 60: 2129-2133.
Adler, N.E. et al., (1994). Socioeconomic status and health: The challenge of
the gradient. American Psychologist, 49, 15-24.
Kivimaki et al. (2007) Socioeconomic position, co-occurrence of behaviorrelated risk factors, and coronary heart disease: The Finnish Public Sector
Survey. American Journal of Public Health (May, 2007), 97, 874 - 879.
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Zhang, P. Tao, G, Anderson, L.A. (2003) Differences in Access to Health
Care Services Among Adults in Rural America By Rural Classification
Categories and Age. Aust. J. Rural Health. 11: 64-72.
Session 11
November 5th
Social Determinants: Race, Ethnicity, and Gender
Williams, DR. (1997). Race and health: Basic questions, emerging directions.
Annals of Epidemiology, 7, 322-333
Phyllis Jones, C (2000). Levels of racism: A theoretical framework and a
gardener’s tale. American Journal of Public Health. 90 (8); 1212-1215.
Bird, C.E. & Rieker, P.P. (1999). Gender matters: An integrated: model for
understanding men’s and women’s health. Social Sciences & Medicine 48(6):
745-755.
Jackson PR & Williams, DR (2006) Chapter 5: The Intersection of Race,
Gender, and SES. In Gender, Race, Class, & Health. Shulz, A.J. & Mullings,
L. Jossey-Bass: San Francisco. 131-162.
Session 12
November 12th
Media & Policy influences on health
Finnegan, J.R. & Viswanth, K. (2008). Communication Theory and Behavior
Change: The Media Studies Framework. Chapter 16. (pp 363-387). Assigned
textbook.
Brown, J.D., & Witherspoon, E.M. (2002). The mass media and American
adolescents’ health. Journal of Adolescent Health, 31, 153-170.
Hodge, JG & Eber, GB. (2004). Tobacco control legislation: Tools for public
health improvement. The Journal of Law, Medicine & Ethics, 32(3): 516-523.
Albers, et al., (2004). Effects of restaurant and bar smoking regulations on
exposure to environmental tobacco smoke among Massachusetts adults.
American Journal of Public Health, 94 (11), 1959-1964.
Session 13
November 19th
Final Review
Session 14
December 3rd
Final Exam
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Accessing the required articles through E-Reserves
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
Go to the University at Albany homepage
Select libraries on the top tool bar
Select E-Reserves from the menu on the left hand side
Click on Electronic Reserves Course Index
There are a number of ways to complete the next step, but the easiest way to access my
course page is to type in HPM 525 in the ERes quick search box and click on Search
Click on HPM 525 Fall 2013 (Fishman).
You will then need a password to access the page (hpm525fis).
After you type in the password, you will see the page contents sorted by session number.
To access readings for a particular week, click on that folder. You can then access the
individual files. They are PDF files so you will need the Adobe software to access them.
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