lay health beliefs illness behavior Flashcards
lay health beliefs
beliefs ordinary people have about health and illness (people with no medical training)
types of lay health beliefs
- reserve of health
- health as equilibrium
- health in a vacuum
- health as function
reserve of health
having the strength to resist to disease
health as equilibrium
balance inside the body and mind (general physical & psychological well-being) and between the individual and social world
health in a vacuum
an absence of a condition means being healthy
health as function
the ability to do things in everyday life and to achieve personal goals
a person who has a condition but feels healthy because they can still do the things they want
health as function
a person who feels well-balanced physically and psychologically & that they are not in any conflicts with others (in spite of the presence of a condition)
health as equilibrium
a person with no diagnosed conditions understands that they are healthy even when not feeling well
health in a vacuum
a person who feels strong enough to resist disease even when having symptoms
reserve as health
illness behavior
action a person takes with regards to identifiable symptoms
illness related action could take many forms
- do nothing
- visit a GP
- ask friends and relatives
- take medication over the counter
- use alternative medicine
what factors can influence illness behavior
- beliefs about health and illness
- knowledge of diseases
- triggers
- presence of lay referral
- encouragement for self-care and self-help
- availability of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM)
beliefs about health and illness
beliefs about health, and the cause of illness may have an impact on seeking help
knowledge of diseases
knowledge can help identify potential symptoms
ex — a patient may not pay attention when observes blood in the stool and considers that this is quite common; it might be a sign of polyps or colorectal cancer
triggers
triggers refer to pressure from others and the restricting nature of symptoms
presence of lay referral
referring to family, neighbors or community
availability of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM)
focuses on individuality, holism and self-treatment
CAM examples: acupuncture, massage, herbal, aromatherapy, yoga etc
lay health beliefs about the cause of illness includes several sites
- individual site
- natural site
- social site
- supernatural site
individual site
disease is attributed to the individual
ex — food consumption
natural site
diseases related to environmental factors
ex — cold, humidity, pollution
social site
diseases believed to be inflicted by others due to social conflict or jealousy
ex — evil eye
supernatural site
diseases inflicted by supernatural entities
ex — Gods, spirits or ancestors
the individual and natural sites are likely to be found in _____ societies, while social and supernatural sites are likely to found in _____
western industrialized societies, developing counties or tribal societies
types of triggers
- inter-personal crisis
- symptoms’ interference with social and interpersonal relations
- sanctioning (pressure from others
- symptoms’ interference with vocational or physical activity
- temporalization of symptoms
example: a patient who cannot go to a party due to illness restrictions
type of trigger?
symptoms’ interference with social and interpersonal relations
example: someone who feels very tired all the time and cannot be as productive as before at work
type of trigger?
symptoms’ interference with vocational or physical activity
example: people may place deadlines; if symptoms persist beyond their deadlines then they may seek medical help
type of trigger?
temporalization of symptoms
example: a spouse who exerts particular pressure on her husband to visit a GP after experiencing chest pain
type of trigger?
sanctioning
example: death in a patient’s family
type of trigger?
occurrence inter-personal crisis
