Foundations of Public Health Practice: Behaviour & Behaviour Change

The Health Protection course is part of the Foundations of Public Health Practice specialization offered by Imperial College London's Global Master of Public Health. It is designed for newcomers to the field and aims to familiarize them with the theory, scope, and implementation of behavior modification in the context of public health practice. The course consists of three modules, lasting three weeks in total.

The course begins by challenging learners to reflect on their preconceptions about healthy and unhealthy behavior and then contextualizes these ideas within the wider public health approach. It also provides an introduction to classical economics and health psychology, followed by a brief overview of the history of behavior change and risk communication.

Furthermore, the course introduces learners to the concepts of bounded rationality, as well as the genesis and use of nudges and behavioral insights. It equips learners with the ability to use the Behavior Change Wheel methodology for intervention development and apply the COM-B framework to various target behaviors and obstacles.

The subsequent courses in this specialization will cover health protection, which will then lead into the final course for degree-seekers. This course focuses on core skills essential for public health professionals, regardless of whether they are currently employed in the field or not.

Overall, the Health Protection course offers a comprehensive foundation in public health practice, combining practical experience with academic knowledge. Through video lectures, practitioner interviews, and interactive activities, learners will gain a deep understanding of behavior modification in public health and develop skills that are vital to their professional practice in this field.