Health and illness behavior; social reactions to disease

Social control

regulation of human behavior by society

collective behavior

behavior of the group that is deemed acceptable

normative deviance

deviation from the norm that is by choice; often seen as immoral/irresponsible

situational deviance

not by choice; something happened to you and so you are digressing from the norm

“Sick role”

defined by society; out of your control; you will need support and help

What type of illness qualifies the “sick role”?

acute illness, not chronic illness

What is medicalization as social control?

when human problems or processes become defined and treated like medical problems

Harm reduction

meets people “where they are”; focuses on reducing key health impacts without judgement

What are the main examples of harm reduction?

1\.) needle exchange programs

2\.) safe abortion hotlines

What are the 4 main types of stigma?

1\.) Perceived or felt

2\.) Internalized

3\.) Enacted

4\.) Structural

What are the main impacts of stigma?

* hiding health conditions
* not seeking care
* physical harm
* psychological effects

Health behavior

what we are doing to stay healthy

health

the absence of major illness of injury

What are the main determinants of health behavior?

1. Knowledge
2. Attitudes
3. Self-efficacy
4. Social norms

Knowlege

having the information needed to act or stop acting

attitudes

having beliefs/perceptions that factor acting or not acting

Self-efficacy

believing that you can or can not do a behavior

Social norms

what others in your community do and what others think you should do

What are the 4 main aspects of social support?

1\.) Emotional

2\.) Instrumental

3\.) Informational

4\.) Appraisal

emotional social support

expression of empathy, love, trust, caring

Instrumental social support

tangible aid and services

informational social support

advice, information, suggestions

appraisal social support

information that is useful for self-evaluation

Illness behavior

different behaviors triggered by the onset of symptoms

True or false: All people behave the same when ill.

False. Illness behavior can depend on culturally and socially learned patterns.

What are 5 factors do people consider when choosing whether or not to seek healthcare for an illness?

1. Perception of threat
2. Attractiveness (value gained)
3. Accessibility
4. Availability
5. Acceptability

Disease management

behaviors after diagnosis and prescription of treatment

Compliance

taking/doing a treatment as the health provider intended

What are some examples of compliance in disease management?

* taking the correct medication
* taking the correct amount of medication
* taking medication at the correct time of day
* taking medication for the correct length of time

What are the 5 main dimensions of adherence to long-term therapies?

1. Social/Economic
2. Patient-related
3. Therapy related
4. Condition related
5. Healthcare system related

How does tuberculosis relate to social reactions of disease?

* tuberculosis is highly stigmatized
* treatment methods are very complicated (interferes with compliance)