Multi-theory model (MTM) for health behavior change

In health education and health promotion an ideal theory is one that is exclusive to health behaviors, predicts health behavior change, is based on empirical evidence with health behavior changes, provides enough predictive power, is parsimonious, has constructs that are malleable, caters to both one-time and long-term health behavior change, works at individual, group and community levels, and is applicable across cultures. This commentary discusses the limitations of commonly used theories such as health belief model, transtheoretical model, PRECEDE-PROCEED and ecological models and proposes a framework for a new theory exclusive for health behavior change. Such a new theory will address both initiation and sustenance of health behavior change, will incorporate cognitive, conative, and environmental empirically tested components from existing theories, will be parsimonious, applicable at individual, group and community levels, will be culturally robust and useful for resource-scarce settings.