Applying Research and Theory in Program Planning: An Example from a Nutrition Education Intervention

Public health practitioners often hear that effective interventions are theory-based and draw from practice and research. However, operationalizing this integration of theory, research, and practice to develop a concrete program that can be delivered in communities is a difficult task that many practitioners feel illequipped to accomplish. This article describes the steps and processes used in designing the Teens Eating for Energy at School (TEENS) study, a school-based nutrition education program. The goal of TEENS is to increase middle and junior high students’ intake of fruits, vegetables, and lower fat foods to reduce their future risk of cancer. In this article, the authors describe a 10-step process of creating health behavior change programs. The authors use examples from the TEENS study to illustrate how a very concrete, community-based intervention is developed from behavioral theory, research, and knowledge of practice and the target audience.