Application of the Social Cognitive Theory in Understanding and Preventing Obesity

Prior to beginning work on this assignment, read Chapter 6 in your course textbook.https://content.uagc.edu/books/DiClemente.5768.18.1/sections/ch6 

Find a peer-reviewed journal article that involves the Transtheoretical Model of Change (TMC) applied to address a health behavior of your choice. This assignment must reflect college-level writing and critical thinking. The article you select should be an empirical article (not a review article), meaning that it involved the collection of data. The article could be, for example, research that has used the theory to examine theoretical risk factors for obesity, has tested the behavior theory in some way, or has used the theory in an intervention. Remember to cite your chosen article properly. You may want to select a journal article topic that aligns with your final paper topic so that your review of the article contributes to your final paper’s literature review.(Application of the Social Cognitive Theory in Understanding and Preventing Obesity Essay Example)

In your paper,

• Describe the theory that was chosen, including all of the constructs, definitions or descriptions of the constructs, and how the constructs are related to each other and ultimately to behavior.(Application of the Social Cognitive Theory in Understanding and Preventing Obesity Essay Example)
• Summarize the research article in your own words. Do not copy/paste from the abstract.
• Describe the authors’ use of the theory in the research and how it was applied to the research.
• Explain your thoughts and opinions about how the authors used the theory (any strengths and weaknesses).
• Explain the implications for future interventions(Application of the Social Cognitive Theory in Understanding and Preventing Obesity Essay Example)
• Explain the theory’s relevancy to other public health issues or topics.
• Must be two double-spaced pages in length (not including title and references pages) and formatted according to APA StyleLinks to an external site. as outlined in the Writing Center’s APA Formatting for Microsoft WordLinks to an external site. resource.

Solution

Application of the Social Cognitive Theory in Understanding and Preventing Obesity Essay Example

Obesity is a pressing medical problem, and many variables add to its pervasiveness, like individual behavior, environmental impacts, and social standards. This paper inspects an exact exploration article that applies the Social Cognitive Theory (SCT) to acquire an understanding of and effectively tackle obesity among youths. The SCT underlines the transaction between personal, environmental, and social factors in shaping behavior. By utilizing this theory, researchers aim to comprehend the complexities of adolescent obesity better and develop interventions that address the multiple layers of influence. This comprehensive methodology recognizes the meaning of individual decisions, environmental factors’ effect, and social elements’ impact in forming adolescent behavior connected with obesity.(Application of the Social Cognitive Theory in Understanding and Preventing Obesity Essay Example)

Theory Description

The Social Cognitive Theory, developed by Albert Bandura, states that human behavior is impacted by a complementary collaboration between personal factors (for example, knowledge, self-efficiency), natural variables (for example, social norms, physical environment), and conduct factors (for example, skills, actions). The hypothesis comprises a few key constructs:(Application of the Social Cognitive Theory in Understanding and Preventing Obesity Essay Example)

• Self-efficacy: The belief in one’s capacity to execute a behavior or task effectively.
• Outcome expectations: Expected outcomes of taking part in behavior.
• Observational learning: Learning through observing others’ activities and their results.
• Fortifications: Rewards or punishments that impact the probability of rehashing a behavior.
• Reciprocal determinism: The unique association between personal, environmental, and social elements.

These constructs are interconnected, with self-adequacy affecting result expectations, observational learning impacting self-efficacy, and reinforcements affecting behavioral choices.(Application of the Social Cognitive Theory in Understanding and Preventing Obesity Essay Example)

Summary of the Research Article

The selected research article, “Examining the Role of Youth Empowerment in Preventing Adolescence Obesity in Low-Income Communities,” by Muturi et al. (2018) directed a study to examine the impact of self-efficacy and outcome expectations on adolescents’ commitment to healthy eating and physical activity behaviors. The study used a sample of 625 adolescents aged 11-15 and gathered information through surveys and physical activity monitoring devices. The analysts evaluated participants’ self-efficacy regarding healthy eating and physical activity, resulting in expectations linked to these behaviors and their genuine commitment. The findings indicated that higher self-efficacy and positive result expectations were related to increased adherence to healthy eating and physical activity among adolescents. The authors concluded that promoting self-efficacy and positive outcome expectations could be effective strategies for preventing adolescent obesity.(Application of the Social Cognitive Theory in Understanding and Preventing Obesity Essay Example)

Application of Theory in the Research

The authors effectively applied the Social Cognitive Theory in their study by consolidating key constructs such as self-efficacy and outcome expectations. They measured participants’ self-efficacy beliefs regarding healthy eating and physical activity and their expected outcomes from participating in these behaviors. They investigated the effect of these cognitive factors on actual behavioral engagement through observational learning standards by inspecting the role of parental and peer modeling on youths’ self-viability and outcome expectations (Muturi et al., 2018). Thus, the approach aligns with the SCT’s emphasis on social impacts and the effect of observing others’ behaviors on individual behavior.(Application of the Social Cognitive Theory in Understanding and Preventing Obesity Essay Example)

Strengths and Weaknesses

One strength of the research is its utilization of goal measures, such as physical activity observing gadgets, to survey participants’ actual behavior. This approach lessens potential inclinations related to self-report measures. Moreover, incorporating a different population sample upgrades the generalizability of the finding. However, a limitation of the research is its cross-sectional plan, which only depicts the connections between the constructs (Liebhart et al., 2022). A longitudinal report would have given more vigorous proof of the relationships and causal pathways between self-efficacy, outcome expectations, and conduct.(Application of the Social Cognitive Theory in Understanding and Preventing Obesity Essay Example)

Implications for Future Interventions

The research’s outcomes significantly impact future treatments for young adult obesity prevention. Mediations should plan to improve youths’ self-efficacy convictions by giving expertise-building exercises, emotionally supportive networks, and opportunities for successful experiences. By improving self-adequacy, people are bound to participate in and support solid behaviors (Liebhart et al., 2022). Second, interventions should address outcome expectations by promoting positive beliefs about the consequences of healthy eating and physical activity. Thus, it can be accomplished through schooling, peer displaying, and featuring these behavior methods’ quick and long-haul advantages.(Application of the Social Cognitive Theory in Understanding and Preventing Obesity Essay Example)

Relevancy of the Theory to Other Public Health Issues

The Social Cognitive Theory (SCT) offers a flexible approach that can be applied to different general clinical issues. One prominent model is smoking cessation programs, where self-efficacy is vital to people’s ability to stop smoking. At the point when people have confidence in their abilities to defeat difficulties and fight the temptation to smoke, they are bound to succeed (Liebhart et al., 2022). Moreover, outcome expectations, such as superior health and social acknowledgment, influence smoking-related behavioral changes.(Application of the Social Cognitive Theory in Understanding and Preventing Obesity Essay Example)

Additionally, the SCT can help to comprehend and advance behaviors related to psychological well-being, substance misuse anticipation, and chronic disease management. Considering the transaction between personal, environmental, and behavioral factors, this hypothesis gives a far-reaching structure of tending to different health behaviors. It recognizes that individuals’ thoughts, emotions, and social context contribute to their behaviors and health outcomes (Sanyaolu et al., 2019). This holistic approach assists in planning interventions that address the multiple elements affecting health behaviors, fostering positive changes in people’s lives and ensuring overall well-being. Finally, the Social Cognitive Theory offers necessary knowledge into health behaviors, including obesity. The chosen research article successfully applied this hypothesis to analyze the role of self-efficacy and results from assumptions in adolescent obesity anticipation. By getting it and using the hypothesis builds, future mediations can advance behavior change and develop general health results in different populations.(Application of the Social Cognitive Theory in Understanding and Preventing Obesity Essay Example)

Frequently Asked Questions

What is social cognitive theory of obesity intervention?

The social cognitive theory of obesity intervention posits that individuals’ behaviors and choices related to eating and physical activity are influenced by social interactions, personal beliefs, and observational learning. It emphasizes the importance of self-regulation, self-efficacy, and modeling in shaping healthier habits and tackling obesity.

How does social learning theory relate to obesity?

Social learning theory suggests that individuals can acquire behaviors, including eating habits, through observing and imitating others in their social environment. In the context of obesity, this theory posits that people may develop unhealthy eating patterns and sedentary behaviors by observing and adopting similar habits from their family, friends, or societal norms, potentially contributing to weight gain and obesity.

What is the application of social cognitive theory in health?

Social cognitive theory is applied in health to understand how individuals’ behaviors, beliefs, and self-efficacy interact within social contexts, influencing their health-related choices and actions. It emphasizes the role of observational learning, self-regulation, and social support in shaping health behaviors and promoting positive changes such as adopting healthy lifestyles or adhering to medical recommendations.

What is the social theory of obesity?

The social theory of obesity posits that societal and environmental factors, such as cultural norms, economic disparities, food availability, and marketing practices, play a significant role in contributing to the prevalence of obesity. It emphasizes the importance of understanding how these external influences interact with individual behaviors and biology to shape patterns of weight gain and obesity within populations.

References

Liebhart, J. L., Goodman, A. B., Lindros, J., Krafft, C., Cook, S. R., Baker, A., & Hassink, S. G. (2022). Key Predictors of Primary Care Providers’ Self-Efficacy in Caring for Children with Overweight or Obesity. Academic Pediatrics. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.acap.2022.02.017(Application of the Social Cognitive Theory in Understanding and Preventing Obesity Essay Example)

Muturi, N., Kidd, T., Daniels, A. M., Kattelmann, K. K., Khan, T., Lindshield, E., Zies, S., & Adhikari, K. (2018). Examining the role of youth empowerment in preventing adolescence obesity in low-income communities. Journal of Adolescence, 68, 242–251. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.adolescence.2018.08.001(Application of the Social Cognitive Theory in Understanding and Preventing Obesity Essay Example)

Sanyaolu, A., Okorie, C., Qi, X., Locke, J., & Rehman, S. (2019). Childhood and Adolescent Obesity in the United States: A Public Health Concern. Global Pediatric Health, 6(6). https://doi.org/10.1177/2333794×19891