Risky health behaviour

Question 1

What has been the focus of health promotion and disease prevention studies?

Answer 1

possible harms associated with particular INDIVIDUAL health behaviours

have ignored:
- socio-cultural contexts in which these behaviours exist

Question 2

How is a ‘health risk’ assessed?

Answer 2

aggregating statistical probabilities of a particular set of actions linked to disease outcomes across whole populations.

Question 3

What does the epidemiological approach seek to identify?

Answer 3

the ‘at risk’ group

e.g. smokers, obese
these groups are targeted for health promotion interventions

Question 4

What are the main issues of the epidemiological construction of risk?

Answer 4

• based on statistical extrapolation
• too much focus on the individual health risk
• not enough focus on the sociocultural contexts in which risk behaviours occur

Question 5

Why is health risk is not primarily volitional in nature?

Answer 5

environmental factors (often beyond control) can determine relative ‘risk exposure’

e.g. where you live, what your job is etc

Question 6

What should health risk be presented as for policy decision?

Answer 6

absolute measures of risk

not RR

Question 7

How do social scientists think ‘risk’ should be used?

Answer 7

it should be utilised in relation to health outcomes and in terms of:

Question 8

What 2 factors should risk in ‘health outcomes’ be addressed in terms of?

Answer 8

• sociocultural context in which expert assessments are interpreted (not accessible to general public)
• wider social context where hazards occur

Question 9

What is the social construct of risky behaviour model?

Answer 9

• emphasised CULTURAL RELATIVITY of risk
• shared value system: influence individual and social group interpretation of risk
• contribution of uncertainty and anxiety: risk perception and occurrence

Question 10

What is the challenge for preventative healthcare in risky health outcomes?

Answer 10

• to translate numbers into a meaningful but accurate message to give to lay public
• lay public tend to convert numbers into ‘all or nothing’ measures

Question 11

What are common interprations of ‘risky’ behaviours/events for lay public?

Answer 11

• observed that people tend to use everyday risk as a barometer on how to react to ‘risky’ actions
  if it’s a novel situation where risk is thought to happen, we can rationalise and prepare

Question 12

How does manhood or ego affect approach to risky health behaviour?

Answer 12

seen in studies of young men, especially those who are socially disadvantaged

will disregard danger and risk in order to protect one’s ego/manhood

Question 13

What is the ‘risk society’ thesis?

Answer 13

• we are now living in a society where industrialisation has created more hazards than benefits
• perspective that technical progress has brought unintentional consequences that have big implications for health and risk
  e. g. nuclear power, climate change
• forces people to accept or consider an uncertain future with elevated risk with little or no control
• Risk = almost a guarantee in society and no longer a question of acting rationally

Question 14

What switch in thinking about risk does the ‘risk society thesis’ make?

Answer 14

Perception of risk

category of understanding -> category of fear

causes hyper vigilance of risk in society

Question 15

What are the implications of ‘risk society’ for individuals?

Answer 15

willingness of individuals to:

• respond to warnings on risky behaviour
• to adopt ‘healthy lifestyles’

Question 16

How should a risk assessment be made in regard to health outcomes?

Answer 16

• statistical predictions
• in conjunction with cultural, social and environmental factors
• combo with high uncertainty should inform assessment

Question 17

When is risk communication most effective?

Answer 17

structures as a dialogue

not a one-way fact schpiel from experts -> public