University of Florida College of Public Health and Health Professions student Brooke Jennings presented her health behavior theory research at the annual meeting of the Association of Schools and Programs in Public Health, held March 18-20 in Arlington, Virginia.
The conference brought together more than 800 faculty, staff and students from public health schools and programs across the nation to discuss the most pressing topics in academic public health.
“I’m taking away a deeper appreciation for how diverse and interdisciplinary public health research is, as well as the importance of effectively communicating complex ideas to different audiences,” said Jennings, a Ph.D. student in public health, social and behavioral sciences concentration. “Overall, it was a valuable and rewarding experience to engage and connect with other public health professionals and see how my research fits within broader conversations in the field.”
Jennings presented a poster entitled “Examining the application of theory within the social ecological model: A public health pedagogical framework.” Her project introduced a pedagogical framework that maps 17 commonly used health behavior theories across the five levels of the Social Ecological Model. Introduced in the 1970s, the Social Ecological Model is designed to understand human development and the relationship between people and their social environments.
“Most public health research relies heavily on individual-level theories, even though health is shaped by multiple levels of influence,” Jennings said. “By strengthening how we apply theory across the Social Ecological Model, we can work toward more effective and comprehensive public health strategies.”
Jennings’ co-authors include Emily Murray, a 2025 graduate of the UF M.P.H. program, social and behavioral sciences concentration, and a current Ph.D. student in the UF College of Health and Human Performance; Courtney Pyche, UF Health librarian; Gaia Zori, Ph.D., a clinical assistant professor and M.P.H. social and behavioral sciences concentration coordinator; and Lindsey King, Ph.D., a clinical associate professor and program director, social and behavioral sciences.