Health Behaviour Theories

If you want to go deeper into the impact that your communications can have, understanding the theory behind health behaviour can give your communications the edge.

These theories help explain why people behave certain ways when it comes to their health, and the ways that we can impact this behaviour through communications.

The Theories

Here you’ll find a brief overview of some of the theories that Communicating Health has drawn on as a part of its research (see list of publications).

Self-Determination Theory (SDT)

This is about someone’s ability to have control, to make choices and manage their own life.

• It looks at people’s self-motivation and how it influences choices.

• It assumes that people want autonomy, competence, and relatedness.

• People want personal growth and to challenge themselves.

• Having new experiences all lend to their sense of self.

• People like to feel in control of their own behaviours and goals, and they need to get good at things and learn different skills to feel they can achieve their goals.

• People need to have a sense of belonging and attachment to others to receive feedback and reinforcement of their behaviours.

For health professionals, this theory is useful if your aim is to influence the behaviour of individuals in general, but particularly those in certain groups who are developing their sense of autonomy but still seek group approval, such as teenagers and young adults. It is also useful for understanding people we label as ‘stubborn’ or who don’t like to take advice, but will happily change if they think the idea was their own.

Value Co-Creation

This is the belief that people should be active participants in the design and implementation of interventions, products, or services.

• • • • • This avoids a top-down approach to interventions and communications

        • People share their experiences and influencing factors and have a real impact on campaign design.

        • This sees individuals shifting from being ‘users’ and ‘choosers’ to being ‘makers’ and ‘shapers’

        • Outcomes of interventions can be seen through the eyes of the people at the centre of health-related communications and interventions.

        • Co-creation increases engagement as it helps people identify with a campaign goal

For health professionals, this theory might be important for larger campaigns. It can be applied to any group or ‘segment’.

Consumer Powershifting

This is about how the marketing landscape is changing.

• • • • • Consumers and individuals, rather than marketers, are gaining increasing control over the success or failure of marketing initiatives such as campaigns, products, and services.

        • Power is shifting particularly through social media

        • Consumers are taking the driver’s seat as media shifts from marketers broadcasting a message, to it now being interactive. Companies and organisations may find themselves demoted to passengers.

        • Those seeking to use social media to effect behaviour change are also impacted by consumers deriving power from one another.

        • People are now also able to promote perspectives that diverge from the messages that a campaign is trying to convey.

For health professionals, this theory might help you plan a communication campaign that engages your audience more effectively. For example, you might consider co-creating [link] a campaign, or engaging your audience as communication allies, or perhaps align with social media influencers, hashtags or memes to enhance engagement with your campaign.