Health Related Behavior

Question 1

What are health related behaviours?

Answer 1

Anything that may promote good health or lead to illness

Question 2

List examples of health-related behaviours

Answer 2

• Smoking
• Drinking
• Drug use
• Taking exercise
• Eating a healthy idet
• Safer sex taking behavior
• Taking up screeing activities

Question 3

Why should doctors care about health related behaviour?

Answer 3

Because health related behaviours cause many diseases and illnesses.

For example, at least 1/3 of all disease burden in the developped world is caused by tobacco, aclohol, blood pressure, cholestrol and obesity.

Question 4

What are the theories to help understand health-related behaviour?

Answer 4

• Learning theories
• Social cognition model
• Integrative model-COM B

Question 5

What are the learning theories?

Answer 5

Classical conditioning

Operant conditioning

Social learning theory

Question 6

What is classical conditioning in humans?

Answer 6

Environmental cues -sights, smells, location, people, signal expectation of drug / alcohol

• Craving/ Urges
• Physical compensatory responses and increased responses

Cues may be emotional (eg anxiety)

Cues wiht connection to using drugs / alcohol can trigger behavior and lead to relapse when quitting

Question 7

How can you use classical conditioning theories to change health behavior?

Answer 7

• Avoid cues / change assosiation with cues
• Advertise techniques in alcohol misuse = pair behavior with unpleasant response (alcohol + meds to cause nausea)
• Habit - break unconscious response

Question 8

What is operant conditioning?

Answer 8

People / animals act in the environment and behaviour is shaped by the consequences (reward or punishment.)

Behavior is reinforced (increased) if it is rewarded or a punishment is removed.

Behavior is decreased if it is punished or the reward is removed.

Question 9

What is the problem with operant conditioning?

Answer 9

Unhealthy behaviours are immediately rewarding!

People who are driven by short term rewards and avoiding shirt term negative consequences (withdrawal)

Question 10

How can operant conditioning be useful?

Answer 10

Shape behaviour though reinforcement (punishment / reward).

Eg motivational incentives / withdrawal of privileges in residential treatment schemes

eg save money towards a holiday by giving up smoking

Question 11

What are the limitations of conditioning theories?

Answer 11

CLassical and operant conditioning are based on simple stimulus-respopnse associations.

They do not take into account cognitive processes, knowledge, beliefs, memory, attitudes, expectations ect..

No account of social context

Question 12

What is social learning theory?

Answer 12

• People can learn by following the role models of others.
• Behaviour is goal directed.
• People are motivated to preform behaviours that are valued and can lead to positive outcomes.They also have to believe they can enact them.
• We learn what behaviours are rewarded, and how likely it is that we can preform behaviour form observing others.
• Modelling is more effective if role models are like us or if they have ‘high status’.

Question 13

What are the advantages and diadvantages of social learning theory?

Answer 13

Disadvantages: Role models are often seen performing risky behaviour eg drugs / alcohol abuse.

Advantages: Peer modeling / education and celebrities in health promotion compaigns.

Question 14

What are the social cognition models?

Answer 14

• Cognitive dissonance theory.
• Health belief models
• Theory of planned behaviour

Question 15

What is cognitive dissonance theory?

Answer 15

Discomfort then hold inconsistent beliefs or actions/events don’t match beliefs.

Reduce discomfort by changing beliefs or behaviour.

Health promotion: E.g information on cigarette packets makes people unconfortable and can prompt a change in behaviour.

Question 16

Limitations of cognitive dissonance?

Answer 16

Giving information is not enough to change behaviour - Can use thing (eg stickers) to cover up message

Question 17

What is the health belief model?

Answer 17

Common sense belief models are important and weighed up against how we perceive the severity of the consequence.

Beliefs about health threats (percieved susceptability and severity) vs health related behaviours (percieved benefits and barriers).

Also influenced by cues to action.

Question 18

What are the limitations of social cognition models?

Answer 18

Assumed cognitive / rational decision-making based on weighing up pros and cons (BUT habit, coercion).

Don’t incorporate emotional influences (fear, desire)

Reasoning often only happpens after the risky behavior

Question 19

What is the theory of planned behaviour?

Answer 19

How can we promote peoples intention to engage in this behaviour?

Including: Attitude towards this behaviour, Subjective norm and Perceived control

Question 20

What are the weaknesses of theory of planned behaviour model?

Answer 20

Intention does not alway lead to behaviour

Question 21

What are the Problems with interventions to change behaviour?

Answer 21

There are multiple and poorly integrated models of behaviour -suggesting different target for behaviour change

Interventions to change health-related behaviours have variable and modest effects (NICE, 2007)

Inpact of interventions depends on the type of behaviour, the population being targeted and the context.

Question 22

What is “An integrative model for targeted intervention -By Dr Susan Nicki”?

Answer 22

Specify the behaviour need to be changed.

Understand the nature of the behaviour and its underpinning influences (behavioural diagnosis).

Choose a Behavioural technique that matches the diagnosis (like a prescription).

Question 23

What is the COM-B model?

Answer 23

The theory that, for a successful behavioural change, people need:

• Capability - phycological or physical ability to enact the behaviour
• Motivation - reflective and automatic mechanisms that activate or inhibit behavior
• Opportunity - Physical and social environment that enables the behaviour

Question 24

What is the behaviour change wheel?

Answer 24