The Social Ecological Model
The Social Ecological Model (SEM) is a good way to understand the different parts of the social environment. SEM shows how the social environment can change the way people in your community act about their health and the health results they have.[] The social environment influence occurs as a result of:
- An individual’s preexisting health knowledge and beliefs
- An individual’s relationships with others
- An individual’s experiences in the communities and societies within which they live.[]
These four levels that build on each other and interact are shown in the figure below.
[SE4] The Social-Ecological Model: A Framework for Prevention. (2018). CDC. https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/publichealthissue/social-ecologicalmodel.html