Extra Credit – potentially worth 5 points (100 points are possible for the whole course)

Choose one of the behavior change theories described in the textbook, and give an example of how the theory could be applied for people who are living with HIV, or are at risk of infection.  (You might choose to focus on the intervention you are developing for your partner project, but you are not required to do this.)

Write a two-page paper that describes the focus population (age, gender, circumstances, and issues that have an impact on their health), and how the theory would be applied to this population in a public health setting. 

Describe how the elements in the theory would be applied to the intervention.  For example, in the Health Belief Model if someone is at risk of HIV infection, you would consider the following:

A. Perceived Susceptibility (One’s opinion of chances of getting HIV).

B. Perceived Severity (One’s opinion of the seriousness of HIV).

C. Perceived Benefits (One’s belief in the efficacy of practicing safer sex and/or taking medication, or not sharing needles to prevent infection).

D. Perceived Barriers (One’s opinion of the tangible and psychological costs of practicing safer sex and/or taking medication).

E. Cues to Action (Strategies to activate “readiness” – keeping condoms with oneself or next to the bed and/or keeping medication visible to remind one to take them).

F. Self-Efficacy (Confidence in one’s ability to practice safer sex and/or take medication correctly).

Your application of the theory would describe how the population thinks about their risks for HIV, (A, B, C) the costs to them of preventing infection (D), and provide information and instructions about what they need to do to prevent infection (E, F).  Describe strategies or activities that a public health program could do to address HIV while applying the theory to the intervention.