Promoting healthy behaviors through multi-level approaches

In this course you will learn why promoting lifestyle behaviors through evidence-based, multi-level approaches is as important as ever and what it takes to design for success. You will discover key principles and tactics for behavior change while getting the opportunity to apply those with real-life case-studies.

Low level of physical activity, unhealthy diet, restless sleep, tobacco and alcohol mis-use, high stress level and lack of community result in an overburden to health systems and keep people from achieving the health status and outcomes they desire. Decades of health promotion show that we must do a better job. This course will help participants understand why and how integrating a marketing perspective, establishing public-private partnerships, and integrating lifestyle medicine into the mix of strategies will help people to achieve healthy behaviors. Further, the multi-level approach is a challenge to public health professionals. Working with business, health care providers, health departments, NGOs, and communities in an integrated way, enhances the promotion of healthy lifestyle behavior on a population level.

By the end of the course participants will:

• Know the principles of lifestyle medicine and social marketing;
• Understand why promoting lifestyle behaviors matters (the hard evidence);
• Know the limits of health education in helping people change behaviors; 
• Be able to design smart health promotion strategies at the intersection of multiple sectors;
• Know how to incorporate behavior science principles and marketing strategies in health promotion programmes and policies;
• Know how to navigate public-private partnerships in the process of behavior change.

None.

Interactive/immersive real life case studies experience, role play, and workshop.

• Participants must attend at least 80% of the course;
• Team assignment:
• Project presentation;
• Role play.

At least one facilitator will be on-site in Lugano, and some will join online. Participants are welcomed to join either on-site in Lugano, or online. In case of a change of regional policies (e.g., Covid) or personal reasons, the course could change to online.