What is an intervention?
Interventions come in many shapes and sizes. An intervention might be a program, a policy change, an environmental change, a media campaign, a new partnership or a different practice or way of doing things. What these things all have in common is that they create change. In public health, these changes are meant to influence individual behaviors and health as well as the environments and conditions that provide resources and support to those individuals. |
Interventions can be used to create change in different settings, including: communities, worksites, schools, health care organizations, faith-based organizations or at home. Interventions may be most effective when they include multiple settings. Even though it can be more challenging to plan an intervention for a variety of different settings, these interventions often have an impact that lasts longer and affects a larger number of individuals.
Interventions can be developed by individuals but it is often best to involve several groups or partners. In thinking about groups to include, it is important to remember to involve the individuals who may be affected by the intervention in the planning of the intervention. These individuals can provide valuable insight into the intervention strategies that may work best to create change.
Public health interventions create change through intervention strategies, including:
- influencing individuals’ knowledge, attitudes, beliefs and skills;
- increasing social support; and
- developing supportive environments, policies and resources.