AnnieWold

ProfessorSun
Health,Happiness,andHumanRights
3May2016
HealthPromotionProgramHealthBehaviorAnalysis
In order to validate the need for a health promotion program, the issue must be examined from
multiple perspectives. A useful tool to use in this process is the socioecological model. This
looks into the individual, interpersonal, community, and large scale factors that influence
members of a society. The layered circle model below demonstrates how factors at each level
can be affected by those in another (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2015). The
individual level looks into aspects of a persons life that affect their ability to, in this case,
practice a behavior. The interpersonal level relates to the influence of family, friends, andpeers
on the issue, while the community level includes local organizations and resources. The
outermost circle, society, encompasses all of these levels and affects them through policy,
culture, and climate (American College Health Association, 2012). Although health behaviors
arepracticedbyanindividual,theiractionsaredeterminedbyfactorsateachoftheselevels.

Individual
Many individual health behaviors are affected by similar factors: financial status, access to
transportation, and personal activities. All of these can relate to the way an individual uses
sunscreen as means to prevent skin cancer. Based on the income of an individual, they maynot
beabletoaffordthesunprotectiontheyneed.Betterhealthisassociatedinhigheconomicstatus.
Two of the main ways personal lifestyle relatestotimespentoutsidearelivingenvironmentand
occupation. Not all neighborhoods are safe enough or have designated space for residents to be
outside leisurely (Raphael, 2015). Additionally, a person working in construction or other
outdoor labor will be spending extended periods of time in direct sunlight (Occupational Safety
& Health Administration, n.d.). Another factor thatpreventspeoplefromgettingthehealthtools
they need is access to transportation. An article by Syed, Gerber, and Sharp (2014) states,
Transportation barriers are often cited as barriers to healthcare access. Without a reliable
vehicle or access to public transportation, it can be very difficult to make a trip to the store or
doctorsoffice.

Interpersonal
Behaviors can be affectedbycloserelationships,includingfamilyandfriends.Ifpeerspracticea
behavior, the individual is more likely to as well. Interpersonalrelationshipshavebeenfoundto
correlate with health (Cohen, 2004). Anindividualsaccesstosunscreenwillbeincreasedifitis
kept in the homes of their friends as they will not have to carry their own when they go out.
Increasing thenumberofplaceswhereitismadeavailablewillincreasethelikelihoodofitbeing
used. Using sunscreen can be a behavior learned by watching others, especially for children

learning from adults. Social learning means adopting behaviors, values, and attitudes through
observing others (McLeod, 2011). This can be inversed as well. Children will be significantly
less likely to use sunscreen if they do not see their parents using it or if they lack the
encouragement toprotectthemselves,especiallyiftheydonotknowforthemselveshowharmful
thesuncanbe.Manybehaviorsareaffectedbythepeopleclosesttoanindividual.

Community
Although many aspects of communities are influenced by societal policies, local factors still
affectthehealthbehaviorsofanindividual.Severalinvolvetheavailabilityofsunscreenifitcan
be found in stores, if itisprovidedatpools,schools,doctor offices,orotherplaceswherepeople
may spend time in the sun or learn about health. People cannot use it if it is not there to begin
with. Based on the size of the town or the locationoftheneighborhood,nearbystoresmayhave
different products available. Local health education programs can also help people learn about
health concerns, risk factors, and how to prevent it from happening to them. Community health
programs can be used to reach people at the city, state, and regional levels to teach them about
various issues (CDC, 2016). The environment in which a person lives influences their health
behaviors.

Societal
Two factors at the societal level that can influence an individuals use of sunscreen are general
education regarding skin protection and attempting to meet or maintain beauty standards. An

article from BBC News (2015) says many people do not know what sunscreen should be
protecting them from. Some brands only block UVB rays and not UVA both are linkedtoskin
cancer butUVApenetratestheskinmoredeeply.Theyalsoleadtotheagingofskinwhichmany
people want to prevent due to the desire to preserve youthful appearances. Another factor at a
large scale level is the price for sunscreen that isdecidedbythecompaniesthatsellit.Cosmetic
needs perpetuated by marketing allows these companies to charge significantly more for their
productsthantheyarereallyworth,makingthemlessaccessibleformanypeople(Anneli,2010).

WorksCited
AmericanCollegeHealthAssociation.(2012).Ecologicalmodel.
AmericanCollegeHealth
Association.
Retrievedfrom
https://www.acha.org/HealthyCampus/Implement/Ecological_Model/HealthyCampus/Ec
ological_Model.aspx?hkey=f5defc87662e43738402baf78d569c78
Anneli,R.(2010).Thecosmeticsracket:Whythebeautyindustrycangetawaywithcharginga
fortuneformakeup.
AlterNet.
Retrievedfrom
http://www.alternet.org/story/148140/the_cosmetics_racket%3A_why_the_beauty_indust
ry_can_get_away_with_charging_a_fortune_for_makeup
BritishBroadcastingCorporationNews.(2015).Publicconfusedbysunscreenlabelling,say
experts.
BBCNews.
Retrievedfrom
http://www.bbc.com/news/health33272420
CentersforDiseaseControlandPrevention.(2016).Divisionofcommunityhealth.
Centersfor
DiseaseControlandPrevention.
Retrievedfrom
http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dch/programs/healthycommunitiesprogram/
CentersforDiseaseControlandPrevention.(2015).Thesocialecologicalmodel:Aframework
forprevention.
CenterforDiseaseControlandPrevention.
Retrievedfrom
http://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/overview/socialecologicalmodel.html
Cohen,S.(2004).Socialrelationshipsandhealth.
AmericanPsychology,59
(8),676684
.
McLeod,S.(2011).Bandurasociallearningtheory.
SimplePsychology.
Retrievedfrom
http://www.simplypsychology.org/bandura.html
OccupationalSafety&HealthAdministration.(n.d.).Occupationalheatexposure.
UnitedStates
DepartmentofLabor.
Retrievedfromhttps://www.osha.gov/SLTC/heatstress/

Raphael,D.(2015).Socialdeterminantsofhealth.
PublicHealthAgencyofCanada.
Retrieved
from
http://www.avdha.nshealth.ca/sites/default/files/socialdeterminantsoh.pdf
Syed,S.T.,Gerber,B.S.,&Sharp,L.K.(2014).Travelingtowardsdisease.
JCommunityHealth,
38
(5),976993
.