Health Beliefs and Cognitions Flashcards
Give 4 examples of health related behaviours
• Smoking • Physical activity • Diet • Weight control • Drug & alcohol use • Contraceptive use • Sunscreen use • Tooth-brushing • Safety measures • Vaccination uptake • Presenting at services • Healthcare attendance • Medication adherence • Self-monitoring • Trigger avoidance • General self-care
How many times less likely were those who enagaged in good health behaviours to die than those who did not (Khaw 2008)
4 times less likely to die
What is the impact equivalent of being 4 times less likely to die, by engaging in health behaviours
Live for 14 years more
Reducing obesity, smoking, physical inactivity & improving people’s diets could prevent…?
• Most cases of Type 2 diabetes • 50% of deaths from circulatory diseases • 30% of cancers
what proportion of children and adults are overweight/obese
2/3 adults & 1/3 children are overweight/obese
What type of behaviour is primary prevention
Health behaviour
What type of behaviour is secondary prevention
Illness behaviour
What type of behaviour is treatment
Sick-role behaviour
What type of behaviour is ongoing management
Self-care behaviour
What generally are behaviours influenced by?
Biological Factors Environmental Factors Social Factors Psychological Factors
Give an example of a biological factor
genetics Age pre-existing illness
Give an example of an environmental factor
avaliability access cost weather
Give an example of a social factor
culture class education employment support
Give an example of a psychological factor
past/concurrent behaviours/habit personality emotions cognitions
What are cognitions
Internal thought processes Active processing of “inputs” –> “output” = behaviour, and even perception of information is an active process.
What are social cognitive factors
We develop cognitions as we grow up/experience the world: social = relationships with others/support/pressure/identity Cognitive= internal thought processes
How are social cognitive factors acquired
through socialisation and learning
What are beliefs
provide a link between socialisation and behaviour They’re enduring, individual characteristics but can be modifiable
What is the sequence of events which occurs in psychological research
• Observation: identification of influencing factors • Model: describe how factors combine, interact • Theory: organise known facts as basis for further research • Predictions: specific questions/hypotheses to test • Testing: development of measures, approaches for testing • Revision: on basis of new findings, applications • Intervention: change on basis of model, theory
Describe the health belief model (Becker)
- Perceived threat – perceived susceptibility, severity
- Evaluation of behaviour – pros, cons/barriers
- Health motivation
- Cues to action – internal, external
- =Behaviour
What model is this?
Health Belief Model
State 2 models of motivation/intervention
- Health locus of control Wallston – internal vs. external locus of control
- Self-determination theory Rogers – intrinsic vs. extrinsic motivation
- Health belief model Janz, Becker – Perceived threat, pros & cons
- Protection-motivation theory Rogers – Threat appraisal, coping appraisal
- Theory of planned behaviour Fishbein & Ajzen – Intention, attitudes, subjective norm, control
Describe ‘Theory of Planned Behaviour’
- From social psychology Fishbein & Ajzen
- Based on Theory of Reasoned Action (TRA)
- Clear, causal ordering of factors
- Distant - beliefs re: behaviour, others, control
- Intermediate - attitudes, subjective norms, PC
- Immediate - intention, perceived control
- Includes social, predicts intention well
- BUT, intention-behaviour gap
What model is this?
Theory of Planned Behaviour
Describe the Self-efficacy Theory
- From Social Cognitive Theory (Bandura)
- Motivation and action based on:
- Situation outcome expectancy beliefs
- Action outcome expectancy beliefs
- Perceived self-efficacy (SE) = confidence
SE strongly predicts intention & behaviour across wide range of behaviours. Important in motivation, action, maintenance.
Give one model of action/volition
- Social cognitive theory Bandura – Outcome expectancies, self efficacy
- Implementation intentions Gollwitzer – Plan when, where, how intention à behaviour
- Control theory / Goal theory Carver & Scheier – Goals, monitoring, feedback, revision of goals
- Self-regulation = learning from experience
Describe the Stage of Change Model
- Precontemplation …not thought about doing
- Contemplation …thought about doing, no plans
- Preparation …thought about doing, planning
- Action …currently doing or recently started
- Maintenance …doing for more than 6 months
- Termination, relapse
Which model is this?
Health Action Process Approach
What are illness beliefs?
“a patient’s own implicit common-sense beliefs about their illness” (Leventhal et al)
- Mental representation for recognising symptoms & responding to illness experience
- Developed through own & others’ experiences, media, education etc
What are the five dimensions of beliefs about illness:
- Identity: label, signs, symptoms
- Cause: biological, psychological, multi-factorial
- Timeline: duration, pattern
- Consequences: short & long term effects on life
- Curability/controllability: by themselves/others
Describe the Self-regulatory Model
Illness beliefs interact with emotional response to influence actions
Symptoms & illness dealt with like other problems (problem solving approach):
- Interpretation: understanding problem
- Coping: address problem to re-establish normality
- Appraisal: assessing success of coping
- Re-interpretation, additional coping as necessary
What model is this?
The self-regulatory model
Give three critiques of general Social Cognitive Approaches
- Overlap of models & components, inconsistent terminology & definitions
- Difficulties with operationalisation and measurement
- Evidence largely cross-sectional (descriptive), need more explanatory (longitudinal, experimental) studies
- Assume rational, reflective decision making
- Neglect influence of past behaviour, habits and impulsive processes cued by environment
- Neglect emotional and moral influences
- Little on maintenance needed for health outcomes
- Models of behavioural influences, rather than change
- Complexity and variability of behaviours, individuals
