Block 3 Health beliefs Flashcards
What are lay health beliefs/ knowledge?
Lay health beliefs refer to non professional views about health and disease. They are the beliefs or assumptions that people hold to be true about their health. They are often complex and sophisticated, and may be sensible or irrational.
What is an example of a lay health belief?
1) I’m not at risk of heart disease because I’m thin. 2) Disabled child: mother’s belief that child’s impairments were the result of a flu-like illness she’d had in pregnancy.
Where do our health beliefs come from?
Rooted in the socio-cultural context in which we live. Shaped by people’s:
1) place in society
2) culture
3) personal biography/ experience
4) social identity e.g. gender, sexuality, ethnicity, occupation
- can also be informed by medical knowledge prominent in society.
What is the importance of culture in health beliefs?
Culture shapes our values, norms and affect how we percieve/ think/ interact/ behave and make judgements about our world. Therefore our culture is likely to influence our health and health beliefs. (example: often culture shapes food eaten during pregnancy, or youth culture that links drugs and alcohol with socialising).
Why are lay beliefs important to us as doctors?
“Knowing why a patient believes they are ill helps us understand the whole context in which the patient is operating.”
1) insight into the needs of our patients- both information and support
2) influence health seeking behaviour :
- how people respond to symptoms
- Decisions about consulting
- Expectations about treatment
- Concordance with treatment plans
What influences whether a patient will see a doctor?
1) Perception of symptoms - how familiar/ how serious they are
2) Explanation of the symptoms - in context of everyday life e.g. headache after drinking vs headache in morning.
3) evaluation of symptoms- what are the costs/ benefits of seeking help?
What is meant by a social “trigger” in seeking medical help?
There are a number of social triggers that will influence someone to see a doctor:
- interference w/ social and personal relationships (e.g. ecezma rash and new relationship triggers.)
- Interferes with vocation or physical activity
- When “sanctioned” by others- influence lay referral. (decisions to consult often promoted by close ones, social isolation less likely in seeing Health prof.)
- “Temporalising” of symptoms- set themselves a deadline of when they will see a dr (e.g. if not better after 1 month).
- Interpersonal crisis - e.g. someone close to individual had a cancer diagnosis.
Why do most symptoms not come to the attention of the doctor?
Symptom iceberg- only 1/3 of patients see a GP when symptoms present
2/3rds: Do nothing/ Self medicate/ Consult someone else.
Give an example of when a patient may delay seeking help?
Classic example of TIA:
TIA often a warning sign that the individual is at risk of having a stroke.
Perception of illness: infrequent symptoms and short duration
Symptom explanation: Find explanation - can’t be a TIA, i’m too young/ its normal for my age
Symptom evaluation: weigh up benefits/ risks of seeking medical attention –> not that serious/ will see someone if it happens again/ discuss with family/ friends
What is a good health behaviour?
What is a health protective behaviour?
What is a Health impairing habits?
Good health behvaiour = Any health behaviour that promotes good health and wellbeing both physical and mental.
A health protective behaviour is preventing ill health e.g. regular check ups, seatbelt wearing, screening
Health impairing habits are behaviours that damage health e.g. smoking, high fat diet, lack of exercise, alcohol
What are two pathways which may affect physical health?
1) direct pathway with stress and anxiety- psycological stress
2) indirect- choosing a health behaviour/ coping strategy which impairs health.
What are the determinants of health behaviour?
1) background factors- characteristics that define the context in which people live their lives
2) Stable factors- the individual differences (Personality) in psycholigical activity that are stable over time and context - personality will affect how you react to a stressful situation
3) Social factors –> social connections in immediate environment
4) Situational factors –> appraisal of personal relevance the shape responses in specific situation
What are stable factors?
How do stable factors influence appraisal of a situation?
Stable factors refer to —> The individual differences between people- personality:
The different psychological processes and interpretations which affect how an individual copes with a certain situation. Produces responses stable across time and context.
Stable factors influence appraisal of a situation by:
1) determine to what extent the individual thinks the event is salient
2) provides a generalised framework for understanding and evaluating the event (threat or challenge).
3) makes available or suggests potential responses/ inital response options
What types of individual differences are there that may influence health behaviour?
1) emotional dispositions- (present) psychological processes involved with both experience and expression
2) Generalised expectancies- (future) psychological processes involved in formulation of expectations of the future.
3) Explanatory styles- (past) psychological processes involved in explaining the causes of negative events.
What are the emotional dispositions 5 personality traits?
OCEAN:
1) Openness to new experiences –> intellect and interest in culture
2) Conscientousness –> the will to achieve
3) Extroversion —> Outgoing
4) Agreeableness –> loving, friendly, compliant
5) Neuroticism –> Experience more negative emotions
What is the health belief model?
Health belief model- individual will engage in health behaviour depending on how they percieve the threat of that behaviour- will weight up how susceptible they are and the severity vs benefit of giving up behaviour.
Perceived efficacy- benefits of giving up smoking (save money, holiday) vs. barrier (stress management)
What is the theory of planned behaviour?
- Theory of planned behaviour takes into account how the people around the individual affect the health beliefs –> shapes the subjective norm
- It also takes into account their behavioural attitude which is shaped by their beliefs and evaluation of outcomes
- Along with their percieved behavioural control (internal locus of control vs external locus of control) and self efficacy.
- Behavioural attitude, subjective norm and perceived behvaioural control feed into behavioural intention –> behaviour.
What is the transtheoretical model of change?
- Transtheoretical model of change proposes there are 5 stages of behavioural change:
- precontemplation
- contemplation
- preparation
- action
- maitenance
- These stages of change are influenced by their self efficacy, temptation to relapse, pros and cons of the new health behaviour.
- As someone goes through the cycle of changing health behaviour their self efficacy increases
