Health Behaviour Change

Question 1

Define health behaviour

Answer 1

Any activity undertaken by an individual believing himself/herself to be healthy, for the purpose of preventing disease or detecting it at an asymptomatic stage

Question 2

What are the effects of education on health behaviour?

Answer 2

Effective for discrete behaviour (e.g. getting a child vaccinated)

It is NOT effective on its own for complex behaviours as it does not address the reasons for poor health behaviour

Therefore, for complex behaviours, education needs to be combined with individualised support, as well as economic, environmental and regulatory support

Key study - Nutbeam et al (1993) - Effect of Smoking Education in Schools

Study on the effect of education on health behaviour

Smoking education increased knowledge but had no effect on behaviour (smoking)

Question 3

Define self-efficacy

Answer 3

Belief that one can execute the behaviour required to produce the outcome

Question 4

What are sources of self-efficacy?

Answer 4

Mastery experience

Social learning

Verbal persuasion or encouragement

Physiological arousal

Question 5

Describe the transtheoretical model

Answer 5

See diagram

There are 6 stages in the transtheoretical model:

• Precontemplation
• Contemplation
• Determination
• Action
• Relapse
• Maintenance

You can exit and re-enter at any stage

Question 6

Describe the health belief model

Answer 6

Rosenstock 1966

See diagram/slides

Question 7

Describe the theory of planned behaviour

Answer 7

See diagram/slides

Question 8

See if I need to add more after getting the revision guide?

Answer 8

Things like studies and the whole bit about positive reinforcement.