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Many applied medical anthropology projects deliberately and appropriately utilize a diverse set of mid-range anthropological theories which allow them to (1) describe the cultural models of health and illness which provide a framework for understanding individual and group knowledge and beliefs; (2) monitor both the stability and the change in behavior; (3) identify the key social contexts in which cultural beliefs and values are turned into action; (4) establish the intervening conditions that either allow for change (protective forces) or prevent change (barriers); (5) understand the cultural–environmental and the political economy of health; (6) provide a theoretical framework for determining the decision making and sustainable actions of the group and identify the conditions that are necessary for sustained maintenance of behavioral change for individuals; (7) identify the symbolic and communication conditions imposed by cultural systems that relate to health behavior and behavioral change; and (8) either initiate or restructure culturally competent and effective interventions at the individual and group level. The following sections provide some examples of these approaches and their link to larger theoretical models.