1b: Health beliefs and behaviour

Question 1

Define self-efficacy

Answer 1

The belief that one can execute the behaviour needed to produce the outcome.

Question 2

What are the sources of self-efficacy?

Answer 2

1. Mastery experience (prior success)
2. Social learning (other peoples participation)
3. Verbal persuasion/encouragement from others (support)
4. Physiological arousal (coping strategies)

Question 3

Explain the health beliefs model and give examples

Answer 3

For behaviour change to occur there must be a THREAT
Cues for action are different for everyone.

Things that can increase/decrease likelihood of behaviour change:

1. Susceptibility - ‘A lot of my friends have flu symptoms’
2. Seriousness - ‘It’s just a cold, no big deal’
3. Benefits - ‘If I get vaccinated I won’t catch the flu’
4. Costs/barriers - ‘Injections hurt so much’
5. Cues - ‘My doctor said he strongly advises taking it’

Question 4

What is the theory of planned behaviour? What are the factors?

Answer 4

INTENTION is key to behaviour change

Factors influencing intention/behaviour:

1. Beliefs (expectations) and evaluation of the outcome
2. Subjective norm = Beliefs about important others’ attitudes towards the behaviour - what is normal?
3. Internal (self-efficacy) and external (perceived costs/barriers) control factors

Question 5

How can you apply TPB to helping someone quit smoking?

Answer 5

1. Attitude to smoking
   Belief -> “What do you think about smoking?”
   Evaluation of outcome -> “Is smoking good/bad for you?”
2. Norms of important people around him
   “What does your family think about you smoking?
   Would you like to quit for [e.g. your baby daughter]?”
3. Explore intentions
   “Have you ever thought about quitting? Do you intend to quit in the next few months?”
4. Explore how much internal/external control he thinks he has
   “Do you think you can quit? What makes you think you can’t?”

Question 6

Apply the Health Beliefs model to helping someone quit smoking

Answer 6

1. Cues to action
   “Has anything made you think about quitting smoking?”
2. Susceptibility + Seriousness
   “How do you think smoking is affecting your health?
   What would it be like if you got lung cancer?”
3. Benefits + Barriers
   “What are the pros and cons of smoking for you?
   Is there anything stopping you from quitting?”

Question 7

What are the stages of the Transtheoretical model?

Answer 7

1. Pre-contemplation - Not considering change at all
2. Contemplation - Recognises problem, considering change within a few months
3. Preparation - getting ready to change, already taken some steps towards it
4. Action - carried out change for less than 6 months
5. Maintenance - Changed for more than 6 months, practising new skills/behaviours to sustain change

After that, patient will either enter TERMINATION (no relapse, maintains change permanently) or RELAPSE (start cycle again)