West Kingston, RI – September 8, 2011 – Society for Public Health Education (SOPHE) proudly names Dr. James O. Prochaska and First Lady Michelle Obama as its 2011 Honorary Fellows. The honorary fellow is the highest SOPHE award to a nonmember who has made significant and lasting contributions to the field of health education and improving the public’s health.
Dr. Prochaska pioneered the Transtheoretical Model, which outlines stages of change and matches strategies for health behavior change. Now more than three decades old, the model is arguably one of the most widely applied in health education research and practice.
“Dr. Prochaska’s teaching, research, and writings around the Transtheoretical Model pioneered a new and innovative paradigm for shaping health education interventions, particularly in cancer prevention and control,” notes SOPHE Chief Executive Officer Elaine Auld, MPH, MCHES. “SOPHE is proud to honor Dr. Prochaska and his remarkable legacy to improving the public’s health.”
Since 2010, Mrs. Obama has led a national campaign to improve the health and fitness of America’s children. The “Let’s Move” campaign has galvanized health, human service, transportation, civic, business, media, and other sectors both within and outside of government to tackle the problem of childhood obesity through improved nutrition and physical activity opportunities.
With the First Lady’s leadership, the nation has catalyzed national attention and action on one of our most pressing public health problems today – childhood obesity, ” says Dan Perales, DrPh, SOPHE President. “The ‘Let’s Move’ campaign helps address the critical social, educational, environmental, and other determinants that affect the health of our nation’s youngest citizens and future workforce.”
Both Dr. Prochaska and Mrs. Obama are invited to speak at SOPHE’s 62nd Annual Meeting, October 28-29 in Arlington, VA. The honorary Fellow Awards will be presented as SOPHE convenes the nation’s largest independent gathering of behavioral scientists, and health education researchers, practitioners, and students. For more information about the SOPHE Annual Meeting and/or a list of past Honorary Fellows, please visit www.sophe.org.
About SOPHE
Founded in 1950, The Society for Public Health Education’s mission is to provide global leadership to the profession of health education and to promote the health of society. SOPHE promotes healthy behaviors, healthy communities, and healthy environments through its membership, its network of 19 regional/state chapters, and its numerous partnerships with other organizations. For more information about SOPHE, please visit www.sophe.org.
About Pro-Change
Pro-Change Behavior Systems, Inc., a certified Women’s Business Enterprise, is the leading research and development company for computer- and coaching-based programs for changing health risk behaviors. Based on the Transtheoretical Model developed by founder Dr. James O. Prochaska, Pro-Change programs are for entire populations and are uniquely tailored to each individual. Pro-Change programs have produced unprecedented impacts on multiple behaviors to enhance health and reduce health care costs. In 2009, Pro-Change’s LifeStyle Management Programs for Stress Management, Depression Prevention, Weight Management, Exercising Regularly, Smoking Cessation, and Medication Adherence won the URAC Gold Award for Best Practices in Health Management. For more information about Pro-Change, please visit www.prochange.com.