Application: Applying the Socio-Ecological Model

Ecosocial theory provides health professionals with an opportunity to understand why populations react biologically to a social condition. It is these interactions between biology and social conditions that can contribute to an inequitable distribution of ill health and disease.

Following the tenets of ecosocial theory, health professionals have developed a framework to which health issues can be applied that is beneficial in devising new approaches for promoting positive health outcomes called the Socio-Ecological Model (SEM).

The SEM is an organizing framework that health professionals can use to better understand the multifaceted interaction between the individual, relationships, community, and societal factors. Prevention is the centralized goal of avoiding or eliminating negative health issues; however the individual factors must be assessed in order to develop effective interventions. Although multiple versions of the SEM have been developed for individual health issues, they have in common the concept of multilevel systems of mutual influence and interaction, moving from the individual level through linkages to larger social networks that include the family, community, environment, social institutions, and government.

In this course, you will be introduced to the formulation of the model as proposed by McLeroy, Bibeau, Steckler, & Glanz, 1988). This model is organized around five hierarchical levels of influence: 1) interpersonal factors, 2) interpersonal processes and relations with primary social groups, 3) institutional factors, 4) community factors, and 5) public policy. As you engage in public health and health promotion practices, applying the SEM to health issues will help you plan and develop interventions to affect positive health outcomes.

For this Assignment, your instructor will provide five articles and you will choose one of those articles to review for this assignment. Refer to the Course Announcement area for a list of these five articles you can choose from. Review the article and consider how you might apply each level of the SEM to the health issue described.

The Assignment (1-2 pages)

• Develop a re-creation of the socioecological model by utilizing the information found in the week 2 learning resources. Each level of the SEM is represented in the resource article so please use the information to design the model.

• Explain how the SEM you created helps address the health issue and how you can apply this to public health and health promotion practice.