Lay Beliefs Flashcards

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1
Q

What are lay beliefs?

A
  • Lay beliefs are how people understand and make sense of health and illness
  • They are constructed by people with no specialised knowledge & are socially embedded
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2
Q

Identify the 3 definitions for the different perceptions of health

A
  • Negative definition
  • Functional definition
  • Positive definition
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3
Q

What is the negative definition of health?

A

Negative definition – health equates to the absence of illness

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4
Q

What is the positive definition of health?

A

Positive definition – health is a state of wellbeing and fitness

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5
Q

What is the functional definition of health?

A

Functional definition – health is the ability to do certain things

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6
Q

Describe the nature of lay theories about health and illness

A
  • Complex and sophisticated
  • Draw on cultural, social and personal knowledge
  • Medical information may be rejected if it is incompatible with competing ideas with good evidence
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7
Q

What is the interplay between lay beliefs and medical information?

A
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8
Q

What is health behaviour?

A

Health behaviour is activity undertaken for purpose of maintaining health and preventing illness

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9
Q

What is illness behaviour?

A

Illness behaviour is the activity of ill person to define illness and seek solution

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10
Q

What is sick role behaviour?

A

Sick role behaviour is the formal response to symptoms, including seeking formal help and action of person as patient

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11
Q

Using the example of smoking, describe how health behaviour changes across socioeconomic groups?

A
  • Higher social class:

I. Positive definition of health

II. Focus on long term investments

  • Disadvantaged groups:

I. Focus on improving immediate environment

II. Smoking is a coping mechanism & may be normalised behaviour

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12
Q

Illustrate the illness iceberg

A
  • Over a two week period about 75% of the population experience 1/more symptoms of ill health:

I. For approx 50% of all symptoms – no action

II. For 35% of symptoms – use lay-care

III. For 12% of symptoms – consultation with GP

  • Most symptoms never get to a doctor
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13
Q

Identify 5 factors which influence illness behaviour

A
  • Culture
  • Lay referral
  • Tolerance threshold
  • Information and understanding
  • Visibility, frequency and persistence of symptoms
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14
Q

What is lay referral?

A

Lay referral is the chain of advice-seeking contacts which the sick make with other lay people prior to / instead of seeking help from health care professionals

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15
Q

Provide 4 reasons as to why lay referral is important

A

One understands:

  • Why people have delayed seeking help
  • Why and when people consult a doctor
  • Use of health services and medication
  • Use of alternative medicines
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16
Q

In terms of disease, provide 4 reasons for why people delay seeking medical advice

A
  • Symptom experience
  • Symptom evaluation
  • Knowledge of disease
  • Experience of and attitudes towards health professionals
17
Q

What are the three broad groups involving adherence to medication?

A
  • “Deniers and distancers”
  • “Accepters”
  • “Pragmatists” (when symptoms appear)