title: Transformation for health: a framework for conceptualizing health behaviors in vulnerable populations.
abstract: Shedding light on the factors and circumstances that operate to bring about marginalization of groups can facilitate appropriate responses to the issue of health disparities among vulnerable groups in society. This is showing to be a seemingly intractable problem; however, it may well be that the approaches currently used to respond to the issues are not appropriate because we overlook the "realties" that really matter: those emanating from the people being visited by these circumstances themselves. Under normal conditions, human behavior can only be controlled by the individual. Facilitating an environment in which an individual can comprehend his or her internal and external realities is the first step toward transformative behavior.
authors.affiliation: Texas Tech University-Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX 79430-6264, USA. christina.esperat@ttuhsc.edu
authors.forename: M Christina
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Esperat
authors.forename: Du
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Feng
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Yondell
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Masten
authors.forename: Seth
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Allcorn
authors.forename: Lorri
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Velten
authors.forename: Lynda
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Billings
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Pence
authors.forename: Mallory
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Boylan
mesh_terms: D001294:Attitude to Health / Q000208:ethnology; D003256:Community Participation; D003243:Consciousness; D018864:Cultural Diversity; D003657:Decision Making; D004522:Educational Status; D015438:Health Behavior / Q000208:ethnology; D006266:Health Education / Q000458:organization & administration; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand; D054624:Health Status Disparities; D054625:Healthcare Disparities; D006801:Humans; D033182:Intention; D017145:Models, Educational; D008960:Models, Psychological; D011203:Poverty; D012307:Risk Factors; D012309:Risk-Taking; D012944:Social Support; D014481:United States; D035862:Vulnerable Populations / Q000208:ethnology / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data