| Course | HLTH 5403 Behavioral Practices in Health Education |
|---|---|
| Module | Module 3 |
| Paper type | Behavior theory application |
| Length | 1,320 words, about 5 pages plus title and reference pages |
| Format | APA 7 student paper |
| School | American College of Education |
| Program | M.Ed. in Health and Wellness Education |
| Updated | September 2026 |
Free sample paper for HLTH 5403 Module 3
Intending to Tan: Applying the Theory of Planned Behavior to Tanning and Sun Protection Among Rural High School Girls
Student Name
American College of Education
HLTH5403: Behavioral Practices in Health Education
Module 3 Assignment
Instructor Name
October 19, 2026
Why a Theory Is Needed
The first two modules of this project described the culture and social norms that surround tanning for teenage girls in one composite Midwestern farm town. Those analyses identified many influences: the meaning of a tan, family traditions, rural routines, peers, parents and social media. A list of influences, however, does not explain how they combine into a single decision on a particular day to lie in the sun without sunscreen or to book a salon session before prom. A behavior theory offers that explanation by specifying which factors matter, how they relate and where education might intervene.
This paper applies the theory of planned behavior, chosen because tanning among adolescents is largely a deliberate, planned act influenced by attitudes and social expectations, which are the theory's core concerns.
The Theory of Planned Behavior
Ajzen (1991) proposed that the most immediate predictor of a behavior is the person's intention to perform it, and that intention is shaped by three factors. Attitude toward the behavior is the person's overall evaluation of performing it, based on beliefs about its likely outcomes and how much those outcomes are valued. Subjective norm is the perceived social pressure to perform or not perform the behavior, based on beliefs about what important others think and the motivation to comply with them. Perceived behavioral control captures whether a person feels able to carry out the behavior, based on beliefs about factors that help or hinder it. Perceived control can also predict behavior directly, to the extent that it reflects actual control. In general, the more favorable the attitude and subjective norm and the greater the perceived control, the stronger the intention.
Attitudes Toward Tanning and Sun Protection
The girls' attitudes toward tanning are strongly positive, and the theory explains why. Their beliefs about the outcomes of tanning include looking healthier, more attractive and more confident in photographs, feeling relaxed and fitting in with friends, and they value those outcomes highly. Beliefs about negative outcomes, such as sunburn, premature aging and skin cancer, are held more weakly or seen as distant. On the school's health survey, 64% of girls agreed that they looked better with a tan, while only 29% agreed that tanning would harm their skin in ways they would notice. Holman and Watson (2013), in their review of adolescent tanning studies, found that preferring tanned skin was consistently associated with intentional tanning, which fits the theory's prediction that favorable attitudes lead to stronger intentions.
Attitudes toward sunscreen are mixed. Girls believe sunscreen prevents sunburn, a valued outcome, but they also associate it with greasiness, breakouts, white residue and interfering with getting a tan. Because the second set of beliefs relates directly to appearance, it often outweighs the first.
Subjective Norms
The analysis in Module 2 showed that the girls perceive strong approval of tanning from friends, and in some cases from mothers who tan or who give salon packages as gifts. In the theory's terms, the normative beliefs are that friends, boyfriends and some parents want them to be tanned, and the motivation to comply with friends is high during adolescence. Holman and Watson (2013) identified having friends who tan and parents who tan or permit tanning as correlates of intentional tanning, which is consistent with subjective norm as a pathway. Norms for sun protection are weaker: few girls believe that friends expect them to wear sunscreen, and coaches rarely mention it. Some girls do report that their mothers nag them about sunscreen, but the motivation to comply with parental urging is lower than with friends.
Perceived Behavioral Control
Perceived control over tanning is high. Salons are nearby, inexpensive and open late, and the sun is free. Girls feel they can tan whenever they choose. Control over sun protection is lower than it might appear. Girls cite forgetting to bring sunscreen, not having time to reapply during long practices, lack of shade at ballfields and tournaments, sweating off sunscreen and not knowing which product to buy. Confusion about products is common among adults too; in a national survey of U.S. adults, Holman et al. (2015) found that few adults regularly used sunscreen on the face and other exposed skin and that nearly 40% of users were unsure whether their sunscreen provided broad-spectrum protection. The barriers the girls describe are real, which means perceived control is partly an accurate reading of their environment.
How the Constructs Combine
Putting the constructs together explains the pattern observed in Module 1. For tanning, a favorable attitude, a supportive subjective norm and high perceived control produce strong intentions, especially before events like prom when appearance matters most. For sun protection, a mixed attitude, a weak norm and moderate control produce weak intentions that are easily overridden in the moment. The theory also clarifies why knowledge-based education has had limited effect: facts about skin cancer target a single belief about one outcome, which does little to change an attitude built on many other beliefs, and nothing to change norms or control.
Measuring the Constructs in the School
A theory is most useful to a health educator when its constructs can be measured, because measurement shows which one to target and whether a program moved it. The school's next health survey could include short items for each construct, written in the format the theory's developers recommend. Attitude could be measured with paired statements, such as whether using sunscreen every sunny day this summer would be good or bad, pleasant or unpleasant. Subjective norm could ask whether most people important to the student think she should use sunscreen, and how much she wants to do what her friends think she should. Perceived control could ask how easy it would be to use sunscreen at every outdoor practice and whether she has what she needs to do so. Intention could ask how likely she is to use sunscreen on most sunny days next month. Repeating the items after a program would show which construct changed, turning the theory from an explanation into a planning and evaluation tool.
Limitations of the Theory
The theory has limits that matter for this behavior. It assumes behavior is reasoned, but some sun exposure is habitual or unplanned, such as spending an afternoon at the lake without thinking about sunscreen. It gives little attention to emotion and impulse, which play a role in adolescent decisions. It treats the environment only through perceptions of control, while rural conditions such as the absence of shade may limit behavior regardless of perception. It also says little about how attitudes and norms form in the first place, which is where the cultural analysis of Module 1 remains necessary. Finally, much of the evidence for the theory comes from studies of intentions rather than observed behavior, and the gap between intending to use sunscreen and actually using it is well known. These limits suggest using the theory as one lens among several rather than as a complete explanation.
Implications for Health Education
The theory points to three targets. To change attitudes, education should address the outcomes girls care about most, especially appearance. Jones and Leary (1994) found that an essay describing the effects of sun exposure on appearance was more effective in promoting safe-sun intentions among university students than one focused on health risks, although mainly among those low in appearance motivation. Messages about premature wrinkles and spots, along with positive messages about protected, healthy skin, may therefore move attitudes further than cancer warnings. To change subjective norms, education should involve friends, teams and parents, as described in Module 2. To increase perceived and actual control, schools and communities should make protection easy: sunscreen stations, shade structures, reapplication breaks in practice schedules and guidance on choosing products that do not cause breakouts. Module 4 will examine how the girls perceive the risk itself.
References
Ajzen, I. (1991). The theory of planned behavior. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 50(2), 179-211. https://doi.org/10.1016/0749-5978(91)90020-T
Holman, D. M., & Watson, M. (2013). Correlates of intentional tanning among adolescents in the United States: A systematic review of the literature. Journal of Adolescent Health, 52(5), S52-S59. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jadohealth.2012.09.021
Holman, D. M., Berkowitz, Z., Guy, G. P., Hawkins, N. A., Saraiya, M., & Watson, M. (2015). Patterns of sunscreen use on the face and other exposed skin among US adults. Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, 73(1), 83-92.e1. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaad.2015.02.1112
Jones, J. L., & Leary, M. R. (1994). Effects of appearance-based admonitions against sun exposure on tanning intentions in young adults. Health Psychology, 13(1), 86-90. https://doi.org/10.1037/0278-6133.13.1.86
What the HLTH 5403 Module 3 instructions ask for
The third module of HLTH 5403 usually asks you to select a behavior theory and use it to explain the health behavior you have been analyzing. Prompts typically expect the theory's constructs to be defined and then applied one by one, with evidence from research or your setting, followed by an assessment of how well the theory fits and what it implies for practice. Common choices include the health belief model, the theory of planned behavior, social cognitive theory and the transtheoretical model. Pick the theory whose constructs match your behavior, and justify the choice in a sentence or two. Look at Canvas for whether a diagram of the theory is expected. If the course follows one behavior throughout, apply the theory to the same group you described in Modules 1 and 2.
How the HLTH 5403 Module 3 example is put together
The example explains why a theory is needed after two descriptive modules, then defines Ajzen's constructs. Each construct is applied separately to tanning and to sunscreen, using local survey items, published reviews and national data, so the reader can see where each claim comes from. A section shows how the constructs combine to produce strong intentions to tan and weak intentions to protect, and why facts about cancer have not changed behavior. The paper acknowledges the theory's limits and closes with three education targets tied to attitudes, norms and control. A section proposes survey items for each construct so the theory can guide measurement and later evaluation.
Reading the HLTH 5403 Module 3 rubric
Graders commonly reward accurate definitions and careful application of every construct, not only the ones that are easy to illustrate. Evidence for each application strengthens the paper. Explaining how constructs interact shows understanding beyond a checklist. A frank discussion of limitations is often expected. Implications should follow from the theory's constructs, and APA 7 citations should credit the original theory source as well as studies that apply it. Proposing how the constructs could be measured in your setting, even briefly, shows the practical command of theory that graduate health education courses expect. Keep definitions close to the original source rather than paraphrasing from a textbook summary.
Common HLTH 5403 Module 3 mistakes, and how to avoid them
Theory papers often stumble when students define constructs well but apply them loosely. If you have chosen a theory and a behavior but are unsure how to map each construct, find supporting evidence or discuss limitations, we can help. Share your earlier modules, the theory you prefer and the grading criteria. We can then build a Module 3 paper that applies the theory construct by construct to your group and draws clear implications for health education practice. If your instructor prefers a different model, such as the health belief model or social cognitive theory, the same construct-by-construct approach can be used.
Write yours, or have the desk draft it
This paper is an original model document written by our desk, not a submitted student paper and not an official American College of Education document. Read it for the moves, then write your own to the instructions in your classroom. If you want one built to your exact prompt and rubric, the first custom sample is free and arrives in 24 to 48 hours.
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HLTH 5403 Module 3 questions, answered
What does HLTH5403 Module 3 usually ask for?
HLTH5403's third module typically asks you to choose a behavior theory, explain its constructs and apply each one to the health behavior and group you have been studying, with evidence.
What are the constructs of the theory of planned behavior?
Attitude toward the behavior, subjective norm and perceived behavioral control, which together shape intention, the most immediate predictor of behavior.
Why is the theory of planned behavior a good fit for tanning?
Tanning among adolescents is often deliberate and shaped by attitudes about appearance and by social expectations, which the theory addresses directly.
Where can I find a free HLTH 5403 Module 3 sample paper?
The whole Module 3 paper is posted here, applying the theory of planned behavior to tanning and sunscreen use among rural high school girls, construct by construct, with limits and implications.
Should I discuss a theory's weaknesses?
Yes. Graders usually expect limitations, such as the theory's assumption that behavior is reasoned and its weaker account of habit and environment.