Health Behavior Change Webinar-Slides

Slides
Pdf Summary
Gael O’Sullivan, an expert in global health with 30 years of international development experience, presented a lecture on health behavior change. Her credentials include a BS from Georgetown University and an MBA from George Washington University. She specializes in creating public-private partnerships, social marketing, and promoting both social norms and individual behavior changes to improve global health outcomes in areas such as family planning, sexual and reproductive health, HIV/AIDS, malaria, and more across 42 countries.<br /><br />The lecture covered six main agenda points:<br /><br />1. **Foundational Concepts in Behavioral Science**: Discussed the complexities and challenges of behavior change.<br />2. **Behavioral Counseling**: Focused on effective communication strategies in promoting health behaviors, specifically covering issues around the COVID-19 pandemic.<br />3. **COVID-19 Behaviors**: Explored how the pandemic has affected health behaviors and compliance with vaccination.<br />4. **Other Examples**: Highlighted successful behavior change campaigns like the Truth Initiative for tobacco control and Peloton's strategies for promoting exercise.<br />5. **Messaging Tips**: Provided guidance on communicating health messages effectively.<br />6. **Resource Sharing**: Included numerous resources such as articles, case studies, podcasts, and webinars for further learning.<br /><br />Behavioral science theories and principles such as the Extended Parallel Process Model and the Socio-Ecological Framework were discussed. These elucidate factors like perceived severity, susceptibility, and social norms affecting individual behaviors. The role of social norms was emphasized, particularly how they are influenced by reference groups and trust sources.<br /><br />The segment on social marketing explained the "4 P's" framework—Product, Place, Price, Promotion, and Policy—to design effective health campaigns. Real-world applications included strategies to counter COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy: acknowledging concerns, leveraging trusted sources, and framing messages to emphasize short-term benefits.<br /><br />O’Sullivan underscored the significance of using behavioral science to craft health messages, avoiding pitfalls like repeating misinformation or using overly technical jargon. The lecture also highlighted the importance of active listening, personalizing communication, and engaging audiences through relatable stories over statistics.<br /><br />For broader learning, she shared extensive resources, including platforms for podcasts, academic articles, organizational insights, and newsletters relevant to health behavior change. The lecture concluded with a Q&A session and additional resources for staying updated on best practices in health behavior change.
Keywords
Global Health
Behavior Change
Social Marketing
COVID-19
Health Communication
Behavioral Science
Public-Private Partnerships
Health Campaigns
Social Norms
Vaccine Hesitancy