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Applying the Concept of Positive Deviance to Public Health Data: A Tool for Reducing Health Disparities
Author(s) -
Walker Lorraine O.,
Sterling Bobbie Sue,
Hoke Mary M.,
Dearden Kirk A.
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
public health nursing
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.471
H-Index - 55
eISSN - 1525-1446
pISSN - 0737-1209
DOI - 10.1111/j.1525-1446.2007.00670.x
Subject(s) - public health , positive deviance , protocol (science) , medicine , health equity , environmental health , psychology , nursing , alternative medicine , pathology
The concept of positive deviance (PD), which highlights uncommon practices that reduce risk in low‐resource communities, has been effective in community mobilization and programming to improve health outcomes. We present a protocol for extending the concept to analysis of existing public health data. The protocol includes assessing whether PD fits the situation, identifying positive deviants, and identifying behaviors associated with positive deviants' healthy outcomes. Analyzing existing datasets from a PD perspective may aid public health nurses in efforts to reduce health disparities. The effectiveness of our protocol will be clarified in future research.