Question

Identify a health problem of your choice and describe how you will use a social science theory to address the health problem.

Answer 1

One can easily argue that traditional academic disciplines are about building and testing theory. In fact, many of the academic disciplines, such as psychology, make that argument. However, applied disciplines, such as public health, social work, medicine, nursing, etc., are less about theory development in the academic discipline sense, and more about solving problems, such as reducing tobacco use as a way of improving the health of the public. Since no single theory can address all of the issues associated with problems such as tobacco use, or teen pregnancy, or dietary practices, the issue is not picking a theory, but rather using theories to understand the biological, individual, interpersonal, organizational, community, policy, physical environmental, and cultural factors that may affect the problem of interest. Thus, we use multiple theories, at multiple levels of analysis, to construct a theory of the problem that helps identify leverage points, or points of intervention, in the systems that affect health.

In addition to theories of the problem, we need to understand what interventions work with whom under what conditions. These are sometimes referred to as theories of the problem. Finally, we need to understand the populations and settings with whom we work. Take a look at: 38. McLeroy, K., and Steckler, A., Simons-Morton, B, Goodman, R., Gottlieb, N., and Burdine, J. N. (1993) Social Science Theories in Health Education. Time for a New Model? Health Education Research: Theory and Practice, 8(3):305-312, 1993.

Thus, in answer to your specific question, there may be psychological, family and social network, community, public policy, and cultural factors influencing male child preferences and the likelihood of abortion for gender selection. Each of the theories may be "true" or "useful" for understanding the factors affecting this problem and we hope to understand them as multiple, embedded systems affecting the problem.

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