13.16: Summary
Many health outcomes are related to behaviors, which are also influenced by individual experiences and beliefs, self-efficacy, social and cultural norms, as well as the communities in which we live - including the social, physical, economic and political environments that make them up. Changing behaviors at a population level may seem like an insurmountable task - akin to turning a cruise ship - but societies have done so over the course of history so it is not impossible or even improbable. Well-designed health promotion programs can be a part of initiating and continuing behavioral and societal changes that bring about better health for all.