Fay W. Boozman College of Public Health
Health Behavior and Health Education

Department Overview

The MPH with a specialty in HBHE provides students with in-depth training in health behavior and health education program planning, implementation, management, and evaluation. Didactics and preceptorship experiences are designed to develop students’ abilities to select and apply appropriate and culturally- responsive behavioral and social change strategies to enhance health within communities and at-risk populations. 

Upon satisfactory completion of the MPH with a specialty in HBHE, graduates will be able to achieve each of the following learning objectives by fulfilling the related academic requirements and by demonstrating competence within preceptorship and capstone experiences. 

(1) Theory

·    Identify, describe, and apply major theories and concepts that are utilized in educational and behavioral approaches to health enhancement and risk reduction.

·    Describe how cultural, economic, and other demographic factors may influence health behaviors and individuals’ responses to various types of behavioral and educational programs and interventions.

·    Select and apply appropriate health behavior theories and related concepts for public health interventions. 

(2) Methods

·    Describe the advantages and disadvantages of various intervention research methodologies, such as qualitative vs. quantitative approaches, or pre-experimental vs. quasi-experimental vs. randomized/controlled designs.

·    Design and apply a survey to assess the impact of a specific health behavior on a given population in a public health setting.

·    Describe the following items as they apply to survey development in public health research: such as scales, scores, norms, reliability, validity, scale construction and item analysis. 

(3) Evaluation and Assessment

·    Discuss the general framework for evaluation of community-based interventions and methodologies, addressing qualitative and quantitative approaches as appropriate.

·    Design appropriate process, impact, and outcome evaluation strategies for community-based health behavior intervention programs.

·    Design appropriate evaluation strategies for population-directed social marketing and health communication interventions. 

(4) Application/Best Practice

·    Evaluate reports (including both scientific and technical reports, both peer-reviewed and non-peer-reviewed) of behavioral and educational health programs, and assess the programs' designs, methodologies, and evaluation strategies, as well as the validity of the reports' conclusions.

·    Describe the problem definition, program planning, program implementation, and evaluation components of the community-based participatory research model.

COURSE REQUIREMENTS FOR MPH WITH A SPECIALTY IN HEALTH BEHAVIOR/HEALTH EDUCATION 

In addition to the core courses, elective course, preceptorship and integration project course, an HBHE student must take the three required HBHE courses (PBHL 5623: Program Planning and Evaluation; PBHL 5653: Theories of Health Behavior and Health Education; and PBHL 5783: Health Communication), and (with the approval of the student’s faculty advisor) choose a minimum of two other HBHE courses (6 semester credit hours). The selection of these two additional courses should be guided by the student’s professional interests and objectives. 

A. Required Courses

PBHL 5623: Program Planning and Evaluation

This is a course in health promotion program planning. It is designed to help the learner develop the fundamental understanding and skills necessary to implement program planning, implementation, and evaluation irrespective of setting. It provides both theoretical and practical information in program development and community-based participatory research. Prerequisites: PBHL 5133: Introduction to Health Behavior and Health Education; or permission of instructor. 

PBHL 5653: Theories of Health Behavior and Health Education

Addresses the social and behavioral foundations of public health; emphasis on social and cultural determinants that shape behavior through complex interaction; presents a socio-ecological framework for understanding the relationship between human populations and health status; locates health problems in the context of multilayered social systems and temporal processes of change. Prerequisites: PBHL 5133: Introduction to Health Behavior and Health Education; or permission of instructor.

PBHL 5783: Health Communication

This course provides students with an in-depth exposure to current theory, practice and research in health communication with an emphasis on designing, implementing and evaluating mass media and community-based health campaigns. Topics covered include Social Marketing, Media Advocacy, Entertainment Education, and Participatory Learning in addition to traditional social-psychological theoretical approaches to risk reduction and health enhancing communication. Prerequisites: PBHL 5133: Introduction to Health Behavior and Health Education; or permission of instructor. 

B. Elective Courses

PBHL 5213: Health Promotion in the Worksite

This course focuses on designing health promotion and health education programs to enhance the quality of life for employers/employees who spend one-fourth of their lives at the workplace. Emphasis is on methods for conducting needs assessment and the planning, implementation and evaluation of health promotion programs in the worksite. 

PBHL 5543: Advanced Concepts of Human Sexuality

In-depth examination of human sexuality based on the premise that individual sexuality cannot be referenced to just one theory or simply biological, psychological, sociological, or cultural factors but from the complex interactions of these influences; designed to stimulate learners to think critically forming conclusions in light of scientifically gathered data. 

PBHL 5643: Health Promotion in the School Setting

The focus of the course centers upon the role the public school can play in improving the health status of children and adolescents. Emphasis is on the development, implementation and evaluation of a coordinated school health program designed to promote the health and well being of students and staff; and, includes an analysis of health services, healthful school environment, and comprehensive health education.

PBHL 5683: Social Epidemiology

This course is designed to examine the scientific basis for associations between social factors, both contextual (e.g., poverty, housing, education) and interpersonal (e.g., racism, social support, stigma), and health. In addition, students will be challenged to consider social factors in understanding the epidemiology of diseases, the design and implementation of health protection/promotion programs, and the implementation of health policy. Prerequisites: PBHL 5173: Epidemiology I; PBHL 5133: Introduction to Health Behavior and Health Education; or permission of the instructor.

PBHL 5773: Survey Research Methods

This course will provide students with a practical overview of survey research methods. Topics to be covered include questionnaire and interview design; tailoring instruments for specific settings, populations, and methods of administration; reliability and validity; construction of scales and indices; sampling methods, assessing sampling bias, and maximizing response rates.

PBHL 5813: Technology for eHealth: Theory and Application

This course focuses on theories and practices involved in the development and implementation of public health informatics and eHealth programs to promote healthy behaviors within communities. The course will prepare graduates to lead multidisciplinary research and development teams involved in eHealth programs.

PBHL 5943: Health Communication Seminar