COURSE SYLLABUS
Fall 2013
PH 662: Motivating Health Behavior
Division of Health Promotion, Graduate School of Public Health
College of Health and Human Services, San Diego State University
COURSE INFORMATION
Class Schedule:
Mondays 4:00-6:40 p.m.
Office Hours & Location: By appointment
Instructor:
Gregory A. Talavera, MD, MPH
Professor, Division of Health Promotion
San Diego State University, Graduate School of Public Health
Primary telephone: 619-594-4086
gtalavera@mail.sdsu.edu
COURSE DESCRIPTION AND GOALS
The purpose of this course is to complete an in-depth review of approaches to health promotion and behavioral
science interventions in different settings, using varied strategies, and for different target audiences. The
course will focus on how to develop and implement interventions and how these might vary across behaviors,
settings, strategies, and target groups. The course will emphasize the careful exploration of examples of
intervention creation, delivery and effectiveness. Emphasis will be placed on understanding the resources, and
other practical considerations necessary to produce, deliver, monitor, and disseminate an intervention with
demonstrated effectiveness.
COURSE OBJECTIVES
1)
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9)
Design interventions using different strategies.
Design interventions in diverse settings.
Design interventions that reach a specific audience, including diverse audiences.
Describe the opportunities, advantages, and disadvantages for various interventions using different
strategies, in different settings, and for diverse audiences.
Name and describe a selected set of widely employed intervention methods to reduce or eliminate major
public health problems.
List the resources required to create and deliver an effective health promotion intervention including
partners needed.
Explain the necessary working groups needed to design, create, deliver, and evaluate a health promotion
intervention.
Identify and obtain existing and effective health promotion interventions.
List and describe the community collaborations required to successfully deliver a health promotion
intervention.
REQUIRED READING
All readings for PH 662 will be available on Blackboard (https://blackboard.sdsu.edu/) under “Course
Documents.” Please bring weekly assigned readings and materials to class, as we may be using them in class.
All lecture slides will be posted on Blackboard a minimum of 2 days prior to each lecture. Please see the
instructor immediately if you do not have access to this class on Blackboard.
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COURSE EVALUATION CRITERIA
Your performance in the course will be evaluated on the following:
Quizzes on readings: It is critical that students come prepared to class by reading the
assigned materials and reviewing the lecture material. To encourage reading, over the course
of the semester, quizzes will be administered at various times based on the weekly readings
and lectures. The quizzes can cover the material that will be presented the same day or other
articles that were assigned since the last quiz. The upcoming readings will be posted one
week before class.
Note: These quizzes will be unannounced and will be given at the beginning of the class.
Quizzes cannot be made up.
Group-based Intervention Development: Students will be asked to work in groups to
develop, and later present, an integrated multi-component intervention with elements
targeting each of the levels of the ecological model. The assignments should include an
intervention evaluation component, a procedure manual for quality control (fidelity) and a
description of the theoretical constructs that guide the intervention design, but the majority
should focus on the methods and strategies used to influence behavior (e.g., curriculum,
pamphlets, scripts, etc.). The individual assignments should be completed with the thought
that it will presented at the end of the semester and should be no more than 30 minutes in
duration. The group intervention presented should NOT be a replica of an existing
intervention or existing project. However, it can contain components that other interventions
have utilized. Students will prepare materials for four intervention levels.
Assignment 1: Individual--Health education materials & self-monitoring form (10%)
Assignment 2: Interpersonal--Curriculum design- should be train the trainer model (10%)
Assignment 3: Organizational--Organization restructuring (10%)
Assignment 4: Community/Environmental/policy change strategy (10%)
Assignment 5: Procedure manual for quality control and fidelity (5%)
Abstraction/ Journal Article Summary: Students are required to review individually 2
articles (5% each) and present results to their group summarizing an assigned/selected
journal article. Each week one student from each group will be assigned one article related to
the group topic and the level of Social Ecological Model being discussed in class. Articles for
each review and group presentation are located on Blackboard under
“Assignments”/Abstraction assignments.
You will be graded on your written summary turned into the professor and indirectly by your
group peers as described below under Class Participation and Group Member
Assessment. In order to receive full points, students should:
1) Summarize the key elements of the intervention in your presentation, including:
a. Target audience – who were they trying to reach and where study took place
b. Intervention strategies employed – describe the various components
c. Intended dose and delivery methods – describe how much of the intervention they
hoped to deliver and how they intended to deliver it
d. Intervention timeframe – with what frequency was the intervention delivered and over
what period of time
e. Did the intervention work on the intended outcomes - this should not be exhaustive,
just tell us in one slide whether the intervention worked on the primary outcomes or
not.
f. Provide any additional comments about this intervention- key definitions or concepts
related to the lecture topic or address pros and cons of the intervention.
2) Turn in the abstraction form summarizing the article
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15%
45%
10%
Note: a previously assigned article may not be used for this presentation.
Class Participation and Group Member Assessment: Participation during lectures and in
your groups is extremely important. Please be prepared to ask questions during lecture and
following the guest speakers’ presentations. To ensure equal participation of all group
members and to ensure that grading is based on member participation, each student will be
given the opportunity to anonymously rate their group members’ performance toward the end
of the semester.
Note: If you are not physically present during the week that we anonymously rate each other,
you cannot receive group participation points.
Exam
Total
5%
25%
100%
Course grades will be assigned as follows based on total points accumulated for the semester:
A
96-100
B
84-86
C+
77-79
C70-73
A90-95
B80-83
C
74-76
F
<70
B+
87-89
COURSE ATTENDANCE POLICY:
Students are expected to attend all classes. Unexcused absences, tardiness, and failure to meet deadlines will
have a negative impact on the student's final grade. Students who unavoidably miss a class are still
responsible for getting that classes’ assignments in on time, getting any new assignments from other students,
and completing the work by the assigned due date. Planned absences for religious observances and other
reasons: By the end of the second week of classes, students should notify the instructor of planned absences
for religious observances, work-related obligations, etc. The instructor will provide appropriate
accommodations.
INCOMPLETE:
Medical emergencies verified by practicing clinicians and limited other emergencies are the basis for an
incomplete.
STUDENT-INSTRUCTOR RELATIONS:
Students and instructor must work collaboratively to establish and maintain a productive learning environment.
To that end, a few ground rules will be observed:
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There are no bad ideas. All ideas are to be treated with respect for their creators and acknowledgement
that ideas of all types can contribute to ultimate success. Nonetheless, it is always wise to mentally review
any idea before vocalizing it.
Constant student/instructor interaction and feedback are extremely important. Everyone is expected to
contribute.
Standard Procedures – Ground Rules:
 Cell phones and pagers are to be turned off before class.
 No laptops open during lectures
 No assignments will be accepted via email.
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No late or make-up assignments will be accepted. All assignments are due in hard copy at the beginning of
class. If you are unable to attend class on the day an assignment is due, have someone bring the
assignment to class for you or leave it in my GSPH mailbox BEFORE 10:00am on the due date.
All assignments must be typed using Microsoft Word or a similar word processing program. Required
format is double-spaced with a one-inch margin and 12-point font (Arial or Times New Roman is preferred).
In addition to spelling, grammar, and writing style, your work will be evaluated based on professional
appearance (examples of non-professional appearance: crinkled pages, stains, poor staple job). Please
edit all written assignments and turn-in written materials that are error-free and meet the quality standards
of the university.
You are strongly encouraged to keep computer backups of your work to avoid losing information and time.
If you have an Authorization for Accommodations form that indicates a need for academic
accommodations, please let me know so we can discuss this. Student Disability Services is located in
Calpulli Center, Suite 3100 (third floor), (619) 594-6473 and (619) 594-2929 (TDD/TTY).
This syllabus may be subject to some change and adjustment throughout the semester in order to
accommodate timely, late-breaking topics and events, the unique needs of each student and group of
students. Students having any questions regarding assignments, schedules, and other course issues
should immediately check with the instructor.
ACADEMIC INTEGRETY
Academic dishonesty is an affront to the integrity of scholarship at SDSU and a threat to the quality of learning.
Violations of academic integrity are noted in the SDSU Statement of Student Rights and Responsibilities:
2.1 Cheating shall be defined as the act of obtaining or attempting to obtain credit for academic work by the
use of dishonest, deceptive, or fraudulent means. Examples of cheating include, but are not limited to (a)
copying, in part or in whole, from another’s test or other examination; (b) discussing answers or ideas relating
to the answers on a test or other examination without the permission of the instructor; (c) obtaining copies of a
test, an examination, or other course material without the permission of the instructor; (d) using notes, cheat
sheets, or other devices considered inappropriate under the prescribed testing condition; (e) collaborating with
another or others in work to be presented without the permission of the instructor; (f) falsifying records,
laboratory work, or other course data; (g) submitting work previously presented in another course, if contrary to
the rules of the course; (h) altering or interfering with the grading procedures; (i) plagiarizing, as defined; and (j)
knowingly and intentionally assisting another student in any of the above.
2.2 Plagiarism shall be defined as the act of incorporating ideas, words, or specific substance of another,
whether purchased, borrowed, or otherwise obtained, and submitting same to the University as one’s own work
to fulfill academic requirements without giving credit to the appropriate source. Plagiarism shall include but not
be limited to (a) submitting work, either in part or in whole, completed by another; (b) omitting footnotes for
ideas, statements, facts, or conclusions that belong to another; (c) omitting quotation marks when quoting
directly from another, whether it be a paragraph, sentence, or part thereof; (d) close and lengthy paraphrasing
of the writings of another; (e) submitting another person’s artistic works, such as musical compositions,
photographs, paintings, drawings, or sculptures; and (f) submitting as one’s own work papers purchased from
research companies.
3.0 Academic and Punitive Sanctions: Cheating and plagiarism in connection with the academic program at
The University may warrant two separate and distinct courses of disciplinary action that may be applied
concurrently in response to a violation of this policy: (a) academic sanctions, such as grade modifications; and
(b) punitive sanctions, such as probation, suspension, or expulsion.
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CLASS SCHEDULE AND WEEKLY REQUIREMENTS
Week
Content
Skill
Development
Activity
Notes
Readings
WK 1
8/26



Introduction to the course
Review syllabus
Assign groups
Evaluating
Intervention
Articles
First day class
Groups refine topic
selection
WK 2
9/2

Holiday-Labor day
Relaxation
No class
WK 3
9/9
Individual level
 Review of program planning
models
 Review of theory and how to
incorporate into HP practice
Writing
program
objectives with
theory in mind
Groups begin working on
group assignment #1
Define target health
condition, explore individual
level determinants
+ Elder Ch 12
(Changing the Health
Behavior of Individuals)
+ Delavan-Plomer and
Bensley Ch 9
(Developing and selecting
print materials)
WK 4
9/16
Individual level
 Review principles of individual
level Applied Behavioral Analysis
 Self-Monitoring
 SMOG readability
Readability
assessment
Literacy
assessment
Designing
materials for
individual level
interventions
Guest Lecture
Article #A1 review for small
group presentation
+Sevick et al (2008)
+ Freeman et al (2004)
+Jonsson et al (2008)
SMOG Readability Formula
Document
WK 5
9/23
Individual level
 Motivational Interviewing
 ?
Guest Lecture
Article #A2 review for small
group presentation
+Green et al (2009)
+ Levensky et al (2007) (MI
as evidence-based)
+Resnicow et al (2002) (MI
in HP)
+ MI Handout
Assignment 1 due at
beginning of class
+Zaza et al (2000)[pages
44-74]
+Brownson et al (2009)
WK 6
9/30
Interpersonal: Family & Peers
o Review principles of social
support and social influence
o Design of peer and familybased interventions
Designing
curriculum
pt.1; getting
ready for
assignment #2
Article #A3 & #4 (for groups
of five) review for small
group presentation
+ Bensley Ch 6 (Support
Groups)
+ Eggers Ch 4 (Focus on
Groups)
WK 7
10/7
Interpersonal: Family & Peers
o Lay health advisor
interventions
o Health education curriculum
design
Designing
curriculum
pt.2;
Assign
assignment #2
Article #A5 review for small
group presentation
WK 8
10/14
Interpersonal: Family & Peers
o Group methods: Support and
other groups
Assessment of
each other’s
curriculum
Article #B1 review for small
group presentation
+ Elder Ch 13 (Modifying
the health behavior of
groups)
+Elder Ayala (2005) (LHA
intervention)
+ NCI’s Trainers Guide for
Cancer Education
+ Bensley Ch 11
(Facilitating Groups)
Assignment 2 due in at
beginning of class
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WK 9
10/21
Organizational: Worksites,
Schools, & Clinics
 Review principles of
organizational change
 Worksite Wellness
WK 10
10/28
Organizational: Worksites,
Schools, & Clinics
 School-based interventions
WK 11
11/4
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WK 12
11/11
WK 13
11/18

Organizational: Worksites,
Schools, & Clinics
o Changing primary care
practice
o Church-based interventions
Guest lecture
Article #B2 review for small
group presentation
+ Engers et al (2005)
(Worksite HP)
+ Elder Ch 14
(Org Health Promotion)
+ Elder Ch 9 (Training)
Article #B3 review for small
group presentation
+ Sharma (2006)
+Katz (2009) (Schoolbased HP Interventions)
Assessment of
each other’s
intervention
approach
Article #B4 review for small
group presentation
+ Campbell et al (2007)
(Church-based HP
interventions)
+Elder Ayala (1999)
(primary care)
+Review Body & Soul
materials on Blackboard
Intersecting
interventions
at multiple
levels of
influence
Article #B5 review for small
group presentation
Training of
trainers;
assign
assignment #3
Assignment 3 due at
beginning of class
Holiday-Veterans Day
Community/Environment/Policy
o Review principles of
community organizing and
social change
+ Bensley Ch 12 (Building
and Sustaining Coalitions)
+ Eggers Ch 6 (Community
Org and Development)
+ Elder Ch 15 (Communitylevel Health Promotion)
Assign
assignment #4
WK 14
11/25
Community/Environment/Policy
o Public health policy
o Review principles of
environmental change
WK 15
12/2
Presentations of group projects
4 group
presentations/assignments
chosen by professor
None
WK 16
12/9
Presentations of group projects
3 group
presentations/assignments
chosen by professor
None
WK 17
12/16
Exam
Assignment 4 due at the
beginning of class
+ Bensley Ch 13 (Using
advocacy to affect policy)
+ MacDougall Ch 14
(Healthy Public Policy)
+ Eggers Ch 7
(Environmental adaptation)
Scheduling Note: The course schedule was created considering the breadth of information available for us to review, the
number of weeks available to cover this content, and other factors competing with our schedules (your other classes; holidays,
etc). Thus, we are likely to modify this a bit as we progress through the semester.
+ signifies required reading
Lecture material is required reading
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