Week 10

Question 1

What are health behaviours

Answer 1

Kasi and Cobb 1966 defined 3 types of health related behaviours:
-a health behaviour aims to prevent disease
- An illness behaviour aims to seek remedy
-a sick role behaviour aims at getting well

Question 2

Health behaviours further defined by Mataarazzo 1984

Answer 2

-health impairing habits
-health protective behaviours

Question 3

What is the attribution theory

Answer 3

Individuals are motivated to see their social world as predictable and controllable
There is a need to understand causality
Attribution theory focuses on attributions of causality

Question 4

Kelly 1971-attributions of causality are structured according to causal schemata made up of the following criteria or attributions

Answer 4

Distinctiveness- cause specific to an individual carrying out the behaviour
Consensus- cause of a behaviour would be shared by others
Consistency over time- same attribution of causality made at other time
Consistency over modality- same attribution would be made in a different situation

Question 5

Attributions on causality

Answer 5

Internal vs external
Stable vs unstable
Controllable vs uncontrollable

Question 6

Risk perception

Answer 6

Weinstein 1983 suggested that one of the reasons people continue to practice unhealthy behaviours is due to inaccurate risk perceptions of risk and susceptibility
Most people believe they are less likely to get the health problem
He called this unrealistic optimism

Question 7

What are the 4 cognitive factors involved in risk perception Weinstein

Answer 7

Lack of personal experience of the problem
The belief that the problem is preventable by individual action
The belief that the problem has not yet appeared it will appear in the future
The belief that the problem is infrequent

Question 8

Risk compensation

Answer 8

Where there are competing desires
People believe one set of risk behaviours can be off set by a healthy behaviour
May explain why people dont stick to dietary and exercise programmes

Question 9

Health locus of control

Answer 9

Wallston and Wallston 1982 developed a measure of the health locus of control
Measures: if an individual believes their health is controllable by them
Or whether their health is not controllable by them or in their hands

Question 10

Health belief model

Answer 10

Helps to explain and predict health behaviours
A person will take a health related action if they think that:
- by doing so a health condition can/will be avoided
- they expect that they can avoid the negative health condition by doing this behaviour
-they believe that they can successfully take this health action
E.g. breast screening

Question 11

The health belief model Rosenstock 1966

Answer 11

A persons readiness to take health action is determined by 4 main factors:
The perceived susceptibility of disease
The perceive severity of the disease
The perceived benefits of taking action
The perceived barriers to performing action
Revisions:
Health motivation
Demographic variables
Psychosocial variables
Cues to action

Question 12

Interventions using health belief model

Answer 12

Explore a persons perceived susceptibility, severity, benefits and barriers as well as any cues
These perceived perceptions of threat and benefits can be improved through education

Question 13

The theory of planned behaviour Ajzen 1988

Answer 13

Attitude toward act or behaviour
Subjective norm (motivation to comply with others)-focuses on everything around individual: social network, cultural norms, group beliefs etc
Perceived behavioural control: persons belief on how easy or hard it is to display certain behaviour
Theory predicts that a positive attitude towards act, favourable social norms and high level of perceived behavioural control are best predictors for forming a behavioural intention so leading to displayed behaviour

Question 14

Keys to longer happier life from five decades of health psychology research

Answer 14

To maintain a sense of purpose
Positive relationships
Healthy habits including eating healthy
Sufficient exercise
Sufficient sleep

Question 15

Implications for practice

Answer 15

A person is more likely to undertake a health related behaviour when they believe that:
Their health is important
They’re susceptible to a health threat which could have serious consequences
The proposed action will be effective and does not have too many costs
Others approve of the action and their approval is important
They can successfully carry out the action

Question 16

Indicators of physiological stress

Answer 16

Novel situations
Unpredictable
Uncontrollable
Perceived control is a big predictor of stress
Lack of control over a stressor results in the cognitive schema of helplessness

Question 17

Avoidance and distraction coping strategies

Answer 17

Avoidance
Active distraction

Question 18

What is a stressful event- social readjustment rating scale, Holmes and Rahe 1967

Answer 18

Quantify life change that may cause stress

Question 19

Signs of stress

Answer 19

Biochemical: alteration to endorphin levels
Physiological: high BP, rapid shallow breathing, digestive problems
Behavioural: sleep problems, increased alcohol intake, increased errors
Cognitive: poor concentration and memory
Emotional: mood swings, irritability

Question 20

Effects of stress

Answer 20

Psychological: anxiety, depression, lowered self esteem, exacerbation of chronic pain, mood swings, memory problems etc
Physical: change in appetite, headaches, colds, ulcers, changes to immune function, angina, nausea , high BP etc

Question 21

Stress and health behaviours

Answer 21

Stress can lead to risky health behaviours
-over eating
-road traffic accidents
-drinking alcohol excessively
-smoking more
-exercise less or excessively

Question 22

Emotion and health

Answer 22

Increased risk of morbidity and mortality for those with clinical depression
Depression is a risk factor for all cause mortality and cardiac mortality in people with coronary heart disease (fierdorowicz 2014)

Question 23

Stress and gastrointestinal health

Answer 23

Relationship between stress and the GI system
Stress and bowel function
Been shown that stress accelerates transfer of water for small intestine to large intestine
A biopsychosocial approach is required for Gi medicine

Question 24

Stress in pregnancy and DNA changes

Answer 24

Project storm ice- study where they looked at 218 women who were pregnant during 1998 ice storm , looked at children age 13, differences in DNA methylation in young people
Differences in DNA methylation between young people depend on how mothers appraised storm
Not clear on whether this is due to how women perceived stress or the actual severity of the stressful event

Question 25

Placebos and nocebo effects

Answer 25

Placebo effect= fake treatment that has no active ingredient yet report feeling better
Nocebo effect= develop symptoms not been exposed to a pathogen

Question 26

Physical manifestations of a mental illness

Answer 26

The presentation of physical symptoms that are seen as symptoms that are part of a mental health condition
Varies across cultures
In cultures where mental health is seen to have serious stigmatising consequences physical presentation of symptoms is more common
Culture bound syndromes

Question 27

Vulnerability and resilience

Answer 27

Majority of people are resilient
Trauma and serious events occur to 50%
Prevalence of PTSD is 10%
Most people who experience a traumatic event recover
“Dandelion” children and “orchid” children

Question 28

Implications for practice mental and physical health

Answer 28

Consider how patient and illness might interact
Think about the relative contributions of social and psychological factors
Don’t simply treat the symptoms- think about causes