Introduction
According to the article, behavioral change is very vital in the development of good health and productive outcomes. Application of behavior change theory aids in inducing change of behavior among health workers. Essentially, the application of behavior change theory depends on factors such as changing multiple behaviors and medical adherence of individuals.
The implementation of evidence-based practices in changing the behavior of health workers is a complex task, as it depends on the ability of individuals to change their behaviors and the type of approach used.
Application of behavior change theory is effective if an organization employs interventions that have their basis on past behavioral outcomes. Hence, the essay examines the validity of behavior change theory on healthcare centers, organizations, and society.
Findings of the Study
The study found out that the behavior change theory informs principles of positive behavior change and gives positive outcomes, which are not possible in practices that do not entail application of the theory in undertaking behavioral change programs among healthcare workers.
In addition, the study established that application of designed interventions is effective when compared to the application of theoretical concepts. According to Cane, O’Connor, and Michie (2010), the application of behavior change practices greatly depends on the level of application and willingness of individuals to change their behavior.
The study also revealed that some organizations do not apply the theory of behavior change effectively. For example, a study of 235 development implementation studies revealed that only 22.5% used the theories effectively (Cane, O’Connor, & Michie, 2010). Hence, the findings refined and enhanced effectiveness of theoretical domain framework in assessing behaviors of healthcare workers.
Importance of the Findings from the Study
Despite poor application of the theories by some organizations, other research studies and organizations have successfully employed the theories and frameworks provided by the study. The study adopted theoretical domain framework and applied behavior change theory in healthcare systems.
Moreover, the study applied behavior change theory in elucidating how healthcare centers utilize theoretical domain framework in inducing positive behavior change among healthcare workers and the general population. For instance, in Denmark, UK, and Australia the research team applied the frameworks of behavior change theory to identify factors that facilitate or prevent successful implementation of behavior change programs.
Additionally, in Australia, healthcare centers identified bottlenecks and facilitated application evidence-based principles in assessing causes of acute pains in the waist or lower back pains, and eventually gave informed solutions about the problems. Therefore, the findings from the study are very instrumental in the implementation of positive behavior change among individuals in both the healthcare centers and the society.
Research Instruments, Design, and Participants
The research instruments that the study employed are the questionnaires, both open and closed. Descriptive survey is the research design of the study as it entails administration of surveys among eligible participants. The eligible participants were individuals who are conversant with behavior change theory and are available in journal databases that are online.
The selection was through email invitations using a membership invitation list. Out of the 101 invitations, 37 participants managed to complete the assigned tasks (19 open sort tasks and 18 closed sort tasks).
Strengths and Weaknesses
The strength of the study lies in the framework it employed, which is the theoretical domain framework. The framework uses a number of procedures that identify domains, establish the content of domains, and finalize the domain labels to achieve a refined framework of domains.
These procedures are fundamental as they enhance internal validity of the results, which are helpful in the implementation of behavior change interventions in healthcare centers and other organizations. However, the study portrays a weakness as it only lays its attention on those respondents who understand the theory of behavior change.
Thus, it implies that the study does not consider the views of potential respondents who do not have an understanding of the theory. Moreover, the study did not balance gender (27 women and 10 men), which compounds the outcome of the study. Hence, the method employed in the selection of participants makes the findings have low external validity.
Reference
Cane, J., O’Connor, D., & Michie, S. (2010). Validation of the theoretical domains framework for use in behavior change and implementation research. Implementation Science, 7(37), 1-17.