Understanding Risk and Protective Factors: Their Use in Selecting Potential Targets and Promising Strategies for Interventions
Risk and protective factors Aspects of a person or their environment that make it more or less likely they will experience a particular outcome.
Categories of risk and protective factors Personal Knowledge and skill Experience and history Biology/genetics Environmental Support and services Access, barriers, and opportunities Consequences of efforts Policies and living conditions
Knowledge and skill Knowledge Beliefs Skill Education and Training
Experience and History Cultural norms and religious practices.
Biology and Genetics Type and degree of existing health Cognitive, mental, or physical ability Chronic illness Gender and age Genetic predisposition
Support and services Availability of continuity of social support and ties. Availability of appropriate services. Availability of resources.
Access, barriers, and opportunity Physical access and barriers. Communication access and barriers. Competing requirements for participation.
Consequences and effects Incentives and disincentives. Time costs and delays.
Policies and living conditions Financial barriers and resources Living conditions and hazards Poverty and social status
General principles about risk and protective factors Many factors are related to multiple community outcomes. Not all risk and protective factors are created equal. The more risk factors a person has, the greater the likelihood they will have a given health problem.
When should you use risk and protective factors The sooner, the better!
How do you identify risk and protective factors and use them to select the targets and strategies for your intervention? Review information about candidate factors. Gather available data Develop your own information The "But why?" technique Conduct focus groups Develop and distribute surveys Select risk and protective factors to be addressed. Does it strongly influence the issue? Can it be easily changed? What is the appropriate mix of risk and protective factors? Use information about who is affected by multiple risk factors to help select your "targets of change." Use information about the types of risk and protective factors to select promising strategies for the comprehensive intervention.