Okuzeka
Public Health & Epidemiology vocabulary · Health Promotion and Behaviour

Behaviour change

Meaning in public health & epidemiology, with examples

nounCore term

In public health & epidemiology, behaviour change means: The process of people adopting healthier habits or giving up harmful ones, and the methods used to help them, such as information, support, incentives and changes to their surroundings.

In Turkish: davranış değişikliği

How it is used

Used for smoking, diet, exercise, handwashing and much more. Programmes are based on behaviour change theories and techniques; 'nudges' are small changes to the way choices are presented that make the healthy option easier. American spelling: behavior change.

Example sentences

  1. Information alone rarely leads to lasting behaviour change.

  2. The campaign used behaviour change techniques such as goal setting and reminders.

Common collocations

  • behaviour change intervention
  • behaviour change techniques
  • lasting behaviour change
  • support behaviour change
  • nudge
  • health promotionThe process of enabling people and communities to increase control over their health and improve it, through education, supportive environments, healthy policies and community action.
  • health educationPlanned learning activities that give people the knowledge, skills and motivation to make healthier choices, for example lessons, workshops, counselling or leaflets.
  • interventionA planned action, programme or policy designed to improve health or change a health-related behaviour or condition in a group of people.
  • harm reductionAn approach that aims to reduce the health and social harms of risky behaviours, such as drug use, without requiring people to stop the behaviour completely.

More terms: Health Promotion and Behaviour

Practise with graded reading

Reading at the right level is the fastest way to make new words stick. Pick free English books by level:

This page explains English vocabulary for learners. It is not medical advice.