Health Beliefs and Behaviour

Question 1

Define health behaviour.

Answer 1

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

Question 2

Describe the effect of education on health behaviour.

Answer 2

Education is effective on its own at changing discrete health behaviours e.g. getting a child vaccinated However, it is not effective on its own for more complex health behaviours It needs to be combined with individualised support, as well as economic, environmental and regulatory support

Question 3

Describe a study that showed the effect of education on healthbehaviour.

Answer 3

Nutbeam (1993) study on the effect of smoking education in schools Smoking education showed that it increased knowledge but had no effect on behaviour (smoking)

Question 4

What is self-efficacy?

Answer 4

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

Question 5

What are the four sources of self-efficacy?

Answer 5

Mastery experience Social learning Verbal persuasion and encouragement Physiological arousa

Question 6

Draw the health beliefs model

Answer 6

Health Belief model

Question 7

Draw the theory of planned behaviour model.

Answer 7

Planned behaviour model

Question 8

What are the stages of the transtheoretical model?

Answer 8

PCDARM Precontemplation Contemplation Determination Action Relapse Maintenance NOTE: you can enter and leave at any stage