Session 6 - Theories on Health Behaviour

Question 1

What are health-related behaviours?

Answer 1

Things that may promote good health, or lead to illness such as:

• • Smoking*
• • Drinking*
• -Drug use*
• -Exercise*
• • Safer sex behaviour*

Question 2

What is meant by classical conditioning?

Answer 2

That humans will respond to cues that they become accustomed to over time. Examples include environmental cues (sights, smells, location) and emotional cues.

Such cues may lead to cravings/urges, but may also trigger relapses when quitting.

Question 3

What is meant by Operant Conditioning?

Answer 3

The idea that people / animals will act on the environment and their behaviour is shaped by the consequences i.e. if they are rewarded or punished then this will influence whether this behaviour is repeated.

Question 4

What is a disadvantage of Operant Conditioning?

Answer 4

The problem is that unhealthy behaviours, in the short-term, are immediately rewarding and so likely to be repeated even though they are not ‘healthy’ in the long term e.g. drug-taking, consuming alcohol, unsafe sex)

Question 5

How might the risk of Operant Conditioning (reward/punishment) not working be mitigated?

Answer 5

By trying to shape behaviour through reinforcement and incentives e.g. saving up the money that would be spent on smoking and putting it towards a holiday.

Question 6

What are limitations of ‘conditioning’ theories?

Answer 6

• They are based on simple-stimulus response associations.
• There is no account taken of cognitive processes (rather simplistic).
• There is no account taken of the social context.

Question 7

What is meant by the ‘Social Learning Theory’?

Answer 7

The idea that people can learn vicariously (observation/modelling).

Behaviour is goal-directed, and people are motivated to perform behaviours that are valued (i.e. lead to rewards) and that they believe they can enact (i.e. self-efficacy).

Influences can come from family, peers, media figures and celebrities, but can also lead to harmful behaviours.

Question 8

What is meant by Cognitive Dissonance Theory (a Social Cognition Model)?

Answer 8

Discomfort when actions/events don’t match beliefs e.g. smoking

Question 9

What is meant by the Health Belief Model (social cognition)?

Answer 9

Having beliefs about health threats (perceived susceptibility and severity) and belivefs about health-related behaviour (perceived benefits and barriers) which lead to cues to action.

Question 10

What are the the limitations of social cognition models?

Answer 10

• They assume cognitive/rational decision making based upon balancing pros and cons.
• They do not incorporate emotional influences
• Reasoning often only happens following risky behaviour.

Question 11

What is the notion behind the integrative model for targeted intervention?

Answer 11

• Specifying the behaviour that needs to change.
• Understanding the nature of the behaviour and the underpinning influences.
• Choosing a technique that will lead to behavioural change in this situation

Question 12

What is the COM-B model?

Answer 12

Question 13

What is meant by the Theory of Planned Behaviour?

Answer 13

NB:// A good predictor or intentions but a poor predictor of behaviour.

Question 14

What are the stages of change?

Answer 14

1. Precontemplation.
2. Contemplation.
3. Preparation.
4. Action (+ Maintenance).
5. Relapse….back to #1…

Question 15

What is substance misuse?

Answer 15

• The harmful or hazardous use of psychoative substances, including alcohol and illicit drugs.*
• This can lead to dependence syndrome - a cluster of behavioural, cognitive and physiological phenomena that develop and typically include a strong desire to take the drug.*

Question 16

What are the types of substances that can be misused?

Answer 16

1. Stimulants (tobacco, cocaine, amphetamines).
2. Hallucinogens (change/impact on perceptions, mood and senses e.g. LSD & magic mushrooms).
3. Depressants (alcohol, heroin and cannabis).

Question 17

What is meant by ‘ADHERENCE’?

Answer 17

The extent to which a person’s behaviour (taking medication, following a diet and/or executing lifestyle changes) corresponds with agreed recommendations from a healthcare provider.

Question 18

What factors can influence adherence?

Answer 18

• Gender
• Age
• Ethnicity
• Education
• Social support
• Marital status
• Mood impairment

Question 19

Suggest some reasons why patients do not take their medication.

Answer 19

• Forgetting
• Affordability
• Concern about safety and/or effectiveness
• Fear of adverse effects
• Confusion
• Feeling ok and therefore like they don’t need it
• Being too unwell to take the medication

Question 20

What is meant by the term CONCORDANCE?

Answer 20

Agreement between the patient and healthcare professional, reached after negotiation, that respects the beliefs and wishes of the patient in determining whether, when and how their medicine is taken, and (in which) the privacy of the patient’s decision (is recognised).

Question 21

What are some advantages of the ‘concordance’ approach?

Answer 21

• Can lead to a more empowered patient as their feelings have been discussed and respected.
• Greater likelihood of the patient following the prescribed treatment because there has been a more transparent decision-making process.
• Ability for multi-disciplinary intervention i.e. pharmacists can help facilitiate this process.