Health behaviours and behaviour change

Question 1

What is health promotion?

Answer 1

Health promotion is the process of enabling people to increase control over, and to improve, their health. It moves beyond a focus on individual behaviour towards a wide range of social and environmental interventions.

Question 2

What were the results of the Alameda county study? (Belloc and Breslow)

Answer 2

nLongitudinal research of 7000 people; 9 year follow-up (1965-1974), and continued to present day.

Longer life predicted by seven ‘good’ lifestyles.

1. 7-8 hours sleep per night
2. No more than 1-2 units per day
3. Not smoking
4. Regular physical activity
5. Not eating between meals
6. Eating breakfast
7. Moderate weight (no more than 10% overweight)

Question 3

What are behavioural pathogens?

Answer 3

Smoking/drinking - cancer, CVD

Sex - HIV, STDs

Stress - immune response

Question 4

What are behavioural immunogens?

Answer 4

Exercise, balanced diet, immunisation and screening

Question 5

Are public health campaigns effective in changing behaiviour?

Answer 5

No