Risky Health Behaviour

Question 1

What is risk?

Answer 1

• probability of a bad outcome
• social construct which we overlay on the world around us.
• so there is diff in perception of risk between the public and by health professionals.

Question 2

What are risk assessments?

Answer 2

• identify individual lifestyle factors associated with disease
• At risk people are a target of health promotion

Question 3

What are epidemoiological approached to risky health behaviour?

Answer 3

• based on risk assessment
• i.e. calculate damage of behaviour
• e.g. smoking 1 pack a day, shortens life by 10 years

Question 4

What are the disadvantages of the epidemiological approach to risky health behaviour?

Answer 4

• Assumes risk is controllable (e.g. I could give up smoking tomorrow)
• Doesn’t take into account immeasurable social factors (e.g. how many friends have to be smokers before you start)
• Assumes that all risk is down to the personal choice (e.g. it’s your fault you took E in the club, despite the fact everyone was on it)
• Statistically significant, but silly associations (e.g. single mothers are most likely to smoke…why?)

Question 5

What is the cognitive social psychological model?

Answer 5

FOCUSES ON:

• social cognition
• choice in behaviour

Question 6

What are the disadvantages of the cognitive social psychological model?

Answer 6

– Separate social & cognitive components in risk behaviour
– ignore the affective component of behaviour
– Assumes risks are outside of social context
– Explains the benefit to individuals of doing risky health behaviour e.g. risking HIV infection to gain intimacy with partner. This is called situational rationality – assumes risky health behaviour is rational to an individual given the immediate social situation, however risky to their health in long term.
– Assumes a type of economic rationality in decision making, a weighing up of all the costs to see if the benefits of that behaviour is worth the risks. However risks may be unconsidered (taken for granted aspect of daily life), especially since behaviour is social and involves others

Question 7

What is the cultural theory of risk?

Answer 7

Variations in risk recognition, assessment and response is seen to reflect the differential socialisation in cultures and within social institutions. – This theory emphasises the point that what society calls risky is determined by social and cultural factors. – E.G. Pigs are considered as dirty animals
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Question 8

What is phenomonology?

Answer 8

– Unconsidered risks: taken-for-granted understanding ( e.g. unprotected sex or only elderly get cancer.)
– Assessment of new risks: weighing benefits against risks in novel situations (e.g. I haven’t tried that drug, how safe is it?)

Question 9

What is the social construction of risky behaviour?

Answer 9

 Emphases the cultural relativity of the notion of risk
 Individual and social group conditions are seen as a culturally variable product deriving from a shared value system.
 The challenge for preventative healthcare is to be able to translate the number and measurements derived from medico-epidemiological research into a culturally meaningful way
o Research shows that lay people tend to transform numbers into simple all or nothing messages. Based on experiences.
 Outcome: different perceptions of health risk can be held by the public and the health professions.