Applications of behavior modification to health promotion in the developing world.

This paper reviews the fundamental concepts and technology of behavior modification. Behavioral strategies are categorized as employing either 'pleasant' or 'unpleasant' consequences for accelerating or decelerating target behaviors. Subsequently, a review of the applications of this technology to wasteful fertility is provided. Given the additional importance of malnutrition and communicable diseases to the health in the developing world, behavioral approaches to their control are also reviewed or proposed. The article concludes with a discussion of the limitations and recommendations for use of behavior modification in health promotion in a developing country context.