Faculty publish annotated bibliography on social ecological models

Faculty from the Texas A&M Health Science Center (TAMHSC) School of Rural Public Health recently published “Ecological Approaches” online in Oxford Bibliographies.

Monica L. Wendel, Dr.P.H, M.A., assistant dean for community health systems innovation, and Regents Professor Kenneth McLeroy, Ph.D., co-wrote the article that is an annotated bibliography highlighting the body of work most central to the current understanding of social ecological models, as well as detailing the social ecological concepts now being applied within the public health community.

“The social ecological model provides a framework for understanding the social and contextual factors that produce and maintain health and health-related issues,” Dr. Wendel said.

The model facilitates identification of potential leverage points for broader system change and encourages a better understanding of how social problems are created and sustained within the social environment.

Dr. Wendel is director of the Center for Community Health Development at the TAMHSC-School of Rural Public Health while Dr. McLeroy is the principal investigator for the center.