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Rural Health Information Hub
Rural Health Information Hub

Ecological Models

Theory at a Glance: A Guide for Health Promotion and Practice frames the ecological perspective as:

“...the interaction between, and interdependence of, factors within and across all levels of a health problem. It highlights people's interactions with their physical and sociocultural environments.”

Ecological models recognize multiple levels of influence on health behaviors, including:

  • Intrapersonal/individual factors, which influence behavior such as knowledge, attitudes, beliefs, and personality.
  • Interpersonal factors, such as interactions with other people, which can provide social support or create barriers to interpersonal growth that promotes healthy behavior.
  • Institutional and organizational factors, including the rules, regulations, policies, and informal structures that constrain or promote healthy behaviors.
  • Community factors, such as formal or informal social norms that exist among individuals, groups, or organizations, can limit or enhance healthy behaviors.
  • Public policy factors, including local, state, and federal policies and laws that regulate or support health actions and practices for disease prevention including early detection, control, and management.

Examples of an Ecological Model

Considerations for Implementation

The ecological perspective is a useful framework for understanding the range of factors that influence health and well-being. It is a model that can assist in providing a complete perspective of the factors that affect specific health behaviors, including the social determinants of health. Because of this, ecological frameworks can be used to integrate components of other theories and models, thus ensuring the design of a comprehensive health promotion or disease prevention program or policy approach.

Programs are most likely to be effective when they are designed to address the multiple levels of influence on health behaviors.

Resources to Learn More

The Social-Ecological Model: A Framework for Prevention
Website
Describes an ecological model for injury prevention highlighting the complex interplay between individuals, groups, community, and the societal factors that shape relationships.
Organization(s): Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)