1b: Health beliefs and behaviour Flashcards
No.1 cause of preventable illness and death
Smoking is the number one cause of preventable illness and death.
% of overweight/obese men and women
7/10 men
6/10 women
Obesity is due to which 4 factors
Bio- genetics
Food supply-individual
Societal influences- individual psychology
Activity environemnt
5 modern day killers
dietary excess alcohol consumption lack of exercise smoking unsafe sexual behaviour
What is health behaviour
Any activity undertaken by an individual believing himself to be healthy, for the purpose of preventing disease or detecting it at an asymptomatic stage
Behaviour change interventions
Population, community (myocardiology), individual (doctor consultations)
T/F education has important role in continuous behaviours such as smoking
Not really….. Information does have an important role and is most effective for discrete behaviours (eg getting a child vaccinated)
Learning theory:
cues for unhealthy eating
Visual (eg. fast food signs, sweets at checkout)
Auditory (eg. ice cream bell)
Olfactory (eg. smell of baking bread)
Location (eg. the couch or car)
Time (eg. evening)/ Events (eg. end of TV programme )
Emotional (eg. bored, stressed, sad, happy).
Positive/negative reinforcement as well as punishment relating to obesity with examples
Positive reinforcement:
- Dopamine (feel good), filling an empty void/boredom.
- Praise for preparing a high-fat meal for the family.
Negative Reinforcement:
-Avoid painful emotions by comfort eating.
Punishment:
-Preparing a low fat meal is criticised.
Problem with positive and negative reinforcement relating to health eating
Positive: Efforts at dietary change/weight loss go unnoticed by others;
Negative Avoiding future health problems is too remote.
Types of behaviour modification techniques
- Stimulus control techniques
- Counter conditioning
- Contingency management
- Naturally occurring reinforcers
Examples of stimulus control techniques for overeating
Keep ‘danger’ foods out of the house
Avoid keeping biscuits in the same cupboard as tea & coffee
Eat only at the dining table
Use small plates
Do not watch TV at the same time as eating.
What is counter conditioning
Identify ‘high-risk’ situations/cues (eg stress) and ‘healthier’ responses
e.g. yoga/books
Examples of contingency management
Involve significant others to praise healthy eating choices
Plan specific rewards for successful weight loss
Vouchers for adherence to healthy eating & weight loss.
Examples of naturally occurring reinforcers
Improved self-esteem (positive reinforcement).
Reduction in symptoms of breathlessness (negative reinforcement).
