chapter 3 (health behaviours)

Question 1

health promotion

Answer 1

general philosophy that maintains that health is a personal and collective achievement; the process of enabling people to increase control over and improve their health. health promotion may occur through individual efforts, interaction with the medical system, and through concerted health policy efforts.

Question 2

at risk

Answer 2

state of vulnerability to a particular health problem by virtue of heredity, health practices, or family environment.

Question 3

health behaviours

Answer 3

behaviours undertaken by people to enhance or maintain health, such as exercise or healthy diet.

Question 4

health habit

Answer 4

health-related behaviour that is firmly established and often performed automatically, such as buckling a seat belt or brushing one’s teeth.

Question 5

primary prevention

Answer 5

measures designed to combat risk factors for illness before an illness has a chance to develop.

Question 6

health locus of control

Answer 6

perception that one’s health is under personal control, the control of powerful others (ex: physicians), or is controlled by external factors (ex: chance). more likely to engage in positive health behaviours if you believe you have personal control.

Question 7

socialization

Answer 7

process by which people learn the norms, rules, and beliefs associated with their family and society; parents and social institutions are usually the major agents of socialization.

Question 8

teachable moment

Answer 8

the idea that certain times are more effective than others for teaching particular health practices. pregnancy constitutes a teachable moment for getting women to stop smoking.

Question 9

window of vulnerability

Answer 9

time when people are more vulnerable to a particular health problem. ex: early adolescence constitutes a window of vulnerability for beginning smoking, drug use, and alcohol use.

Question 10

fear appeals

Answer 10

efforts to change attitudes by arousing fear to induce the motivation to change behaviour; fear appeals are used to try to get people to change poor health habits. too much fear undermines health behaviour change and triggers an avoidance of change.

Question 11

prospect theory

Answer 11

theory that different presentations of risk information will change people’s perspectives and actions.

Question 12

social cognition models

Answer 12

models that propose that the beliefs people hold about a particular health behaviour motivate their decision to change that behaviour.

Question 13

expectancy-value theory

Answer 13

the theory that suggests that people will choose to engage in behaviours that they expect to succeed in and that have outcomes that they value.

Question 14

self-efficacy

Answer 14

belief that one is able to control one’s practice of a particular behaviour.

Question 15

health belief model

Answer 15

theory of health behaviours; the model predicts that whether a person practices a particular health habit can be understood by knowing the degree to which the person perceives a personal health threat and for the perception that a particular health practice will be effective in reducing that threat.

Question 16

theory of planned behaviour

Answer 16

derived from theory of reasoned action. theoretical viewpoint that maintains that a person’s behavioural intentions and behaviours can be understood by knowing the person’s attitudes about the behaviour, subjective norms regarding the behaviour, and perceived behavioural control over that action.

Question 17

implementation intentions

Answer 17

specific behavioural intentions that highlight the how, when, and where of a behaviour, and also include “if-then” contingency plans to deal with anticipated barriers to the behaviour.

Question 18

transtheoretical model of behaviour change

Answer 18

analysis of the health behaviour change process that draws on the stages and processes people go through in order to bring about successful long-term behaviour change. the stages include:
1. precontemplation
2. contemplation
3. preparation
4. action
5. maintenance
successful attitude or behaviour change at each stage depends on the appropriateness of intervention.

Question 19

health risk assessment (hra)

Answer 19

assessment designed to identify employees’ specific risks based on current age, family history, and lifestyle factors that provide employers with a general view of their employees’ health and areas for improvement. (seems invasive for an employer? could this affect coverage for benefits?)