HAAB ALL CONTENT

Health Behaviors

Activities that individuals undertake affecting their health either positively or negatively.

Health Risk Behaviors

Actions increasing the risk of disease or injury (e.g., smoking, sedentary lifestyle, poor diet).

Positive Health Behaviors

Actions promoting health and preventing disease (e.g., regular exercise, healthy eating).

Smoking and Health Risks

Smoking is linked to cardiovascular diseases, lung cancer, respiratory diseases, and complications in pregnancy.

Reversibility of Risks

Quitting smoking can reduce the risk of some diseases; lung cancer risks stop increasing but may not decrease.

Lucy's Smoking Behavior

Smokes 15 cigarettes daily since her teens; uses smoking for stress relief and social bonding.

Perceived Severity

Lucy believes lung cancer is not worse than any other cause of death, reducing her motivation to quit smoking.

Psychological Dependence

Lucy is addicted to nicotine and emotionally relies on smoking for stress relief.

Social Influences

Lucy's colleagues are smokers, reinforcing her habit during work breaks.

Health Beliefs Model

Explains health behaviors through perceived susceptibility, severity, benefits, and barriers. Example: Vaccination campaigns address susceptibility and benefits while reducing barriers like fear of needles.

Perceived Susceptibility

Lucy doubts the link between smoking and lung cancer, minimizing perceived risks.

Perceived Barriers

Quitting smoking would remove Lucy's stress relief mechanism and disrupt her social routine.

Perceived Benefits

Lucy sees no health benefit in quitting due to her disbelief in smoking's harmful effects.

Behavioral Factors

Stress, misinformation, and addiction contribute to Lucy's inability to quit smoking.

Biomedical Model

Focuses solely on biological factors such as pathogens, genetic defects, or physical imbalances. Criticized for neglecting psychological and social influences. Example: Treating bacterial infections with antibiotics.

Biopsychosocial Model

Considers biological, psychological, and social factors in health and illness. Example: Managing diabetes with medication (biological), CBT (psychological), and social support groups.

Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs)

Refer to non-transmissible diseases like heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and cancer.

Behavioral Risk Factors

Lack of exercise, poor diet, smoking, and excessive alcohol consumption contribute to NCDs.

Prevention of NCDs

Focuses on modifiable behaviors like quitting smoking, healthy eating, and regular exercise.

Cardiovascular Diseases (CVDs)

Leading cause of death globally; largely preventable through addressing risk factors.

Psychological Barriers to Healthy Behavior

Immediate gratification, stress management, and misinformation hinder adoption of healthy habits.

Social Barriers to Healthy Behavior

Peer pressure, lack of social support, and cultural norms discourage healthful practices.

Environmental Barriers to Healthy Behavior

Limited access to resources like gyms, fresh produce, or affordable healthcare impacts health choices.

Impact of Smoking

Causes atherosclerosis, heart disease, and strokes, but quitting significantly reduces these risks.

Diet and Heart Health

Avoiding saturated fats, salt, and sugar while consuming whole foods helps prevent heart disease.

Exercise and Longevity

Physical activity improves cardiovascular health, reduces obesity, and extends healthy life expectancy.

Excessive Alcohol Use

Leads to high blood pressure, heart failure, and irregular heartbeats; moderation is key to reducing risks.

Importance of Modifiable Factors

Targeting behaviors like smoking cessation, exercise, and diet can significantly improve health outcomes.

WHO Findings

NCDs account for 70% of deaths globally, emphasizing the need for behavioral prevention strategies.

Stress and Health

Chronic stress weakens the immune system and contributes to diseases like heart disease and diabetes.

Social Support in Health

Lack of connections worsens health outcomes, while strong networks buffer stress and promote wellbeing.

Cultural Norms

Norms around smoking or drinking influence individual behaviors and health risks.

Long-term Health Strategies

Promoting education, access, and behavior change early reduces disease burden and enhances quality of life.

Intention-Behaviour Gap

The discrepancy between intentions and actual behavior where actions do not align with goals.

Causes of Intention-Behaviour Gap

Includes psychological, social, and environmental factors hindering follow-through.

Health Action Process Approach (HAPA)

Divides behavior change into motivational and volitional phases. Example: Weight loss programs guide participants from goal-setting (motivation) to structured actions like meal prep (volition).

Motivational Phase in HAPA

Involves forming intentions based on risk perception, outcome expectancies, and self-efficacy. Example: Smokers deciding to quit after understanding health risks.

Volitional Phase in HAPA

Focuses on translating intentions into actions through planning, coping strategies, and self-regulation. Example: A runner creating a schedule and using reminders.

Transtheoretical Model (TTM)

Describes behavior change in stages: precontemplation, contemplation, preparation, action, and maintenance. Example: A smoker progresses from denial (precontemplation) to quitting (action).

Stages of Change (TTM)

Helps tailor interventions based on an individual's current stage of readiness to change.

Self-Determination Theory (SDT)

Emphasizes internal motivation and sustainable behavior change by fulfilling autonomy, competence, and relatedness. Example: A fitness app encourages autonomy by offering customizable workout plans.

Internal Motivation

Motivation driven by personal satisfaction and enjoyment of activities.

External Motivation

Motivation driven by external rewards or avoiding punishment, less effective for long-term change.

Self-Efficacy

Confidence in one's ability to perform specific actions to achieve goals, crucial for bridging intention and behavior.

Action Planning

Setting specific plans on when, where, and how to execute intentions to improve follow-through.

Self-Monitoring

Tracking behavior and progress to identify areas for improvement and maintain motivation.

Role of Social Support

Encourages behavior change by providing reinforcement and reducing perceived barriers.

Real-Life Example of Intention-Behaviour Gap

A physiotherapy patient attends sessions but avoids home exercises due to lack of time and motivation.

Barriers to Behavior Change

Lack of immediate rewards, stress, competing priorities, and low access to resources.

Positive Health Behavior Strategies

Encourage self-regulation, planning, and building internal motivation for sustainable habits.

Role of Health Behavior Theories

Frameworks to understand why individuals act and how to influence behavior change.

Health Promotion and Disease Prevention

Uses theories to design interventions encouraging healthier lifestyles. Example: Anti-smoking campaigns that use SDT principles to motivate intrinsic behavior change.

Interventions for Health-Related Behavior

Target unhealthy behaviors contributing to chronic diseases. Example: Programs to increase exercise in sedentary populations.

Improving Healthcare Systems

Enhances healthcare provider communication and system efficiency. Example: Training providers in empathetic communication to increase patient adherence.

Management of Chronic and Acute Illness

Using psychological techniques like CBT to help patients manage illnesses.

Theories Bridging Intention and Action

Include HAPA, TTM, and SDT to address gaps between intentions and actions. Example: Encouraging exercise through self-efficacy building in HAPA.

Psychological Barriers

Stress, low self-efficacy, and misinformation reduce the likelihood of behavior change.

Environmental Barriers

Limited access to healthy options or safe spaces for exercise impedes positive behavior changes.

Social Influence on Health Behavior

Cultural norms, peer pressure, and family attitudes shape individual health decisions.

Information Deficit Model

Explains failure to act due to misunderstanding or lack of knowledge about health risks and benefits.

Importance of Tailored Interventions

Personalized plans are more effective by considering individual barriers and motivators. Example: Diabetes management tailored to cultural dietary norms.

Examples of Health Psychology Applications

Smoking cessation, improving physical activity, and better adherence to medical advice.

Strategies to Enhance Adherence

Include regular feedback, reminders, and reducing barriers to following health guidelines.

Global Context of Health Behaviors

Recognizes cultural and societal influences on what is deemed healthy behavior.

Role of Intention-Behaviour Gap in Public Health

Understanding this gap helps improve intervention success rates and health outcomes.

Cultural Influence on Health

Explains how cultural norms, values, and practices shape health behaviors and treatment decisions.

Acculturation

The process of adapting to a new culture, which often leads to changes in health behaviors and lifestyle.

Acculturative Stress

Stress resulting from adapting to a new cultural environment, affecting mental and physical health.

Examples of Health Behavior Changes

Moving to a new culture may alter diet, substance use, and exercise routines due to new norms and resources.

Cultural Continuity in Health

Despite acculturation, some health behaviors tied to core cultural values may remain stable. Example: Immigrant communities maintaining traditional diets.

Role of Community in Health

Collectivist cultures prioritize group well-being and shared responsibilities for health.

Individualistic Health Perspective

Focuses on personal responsibility, autonomy, and self-care for maintaining health.

Socioeconomic Inequality and Health

Describes how income and education disparities lead to different health outcomes.

Social Gradient in Health

Lower socioeconomic status correlates with higher morbidity and mortality rates. Example: Health outcomes in lower-income neighborhoods are often worse.

The Glasgow Effect

Higher mortality rates and poor health outcomes in Glasgow despite comparable poverty levels to other UK cities. Example: Linked to post-industrial decline and social fragmentation.

Causes of the Glasgow Effect

Includes post-industrial decline, social isolation, economic challenges, and cultural factors.

Mental Health and Inequality

Inequality exacerbates issues like depression, anxiety, and substance abuse.

Role of Cultural Sensitivity

Healthcare and public health interventions are more effective when tailored to cultural norms and values.

Peripheral Strategies for Health Promotion

Uses culturally relevant visuals and symbols to engage target groups.

Linguistic Strategies for Health Promotion

Delivers health messages in the target group's preferred language to improve accessibility.

Sociocultural Strategies for Health Promotion

Aligns health messages with cultural beliefs, values, and practices to increase relevance.

Cultural Barriers to Healthcare

Include distrust of modern medicine, gender preferences for healthcare providers, and stigma around mental health. Example: Addressing mental health stigma in immigrant populations.

Impact of Consumerism on Health

High inequality increases status anxiety and promotes unhealthy behaviors like overspending and risk-taking.

Community-Based Interventions

Programs involving family and local communities are effective in collectivist cultures.

Global Views on Health

Different cultures emphasize either holistic approaches (mind, body, spirit) or biomedical frameworks. Example: Eastern cultures integrate acupuncture with modern medicine.

Psychological Effects of Inequality

Increased social evaluative threat and dominance/subordination dynamics impact mental health. Example: Socioeconomic inequality leading to higher rates of anxiety.

Strategies to Address Inequality

Include policies to reduce disparities, improve healthcare access, and strengthen community support.

Childhood Health Disparities

Children from disadvantaged backgrounds experience worse nutrition, education, and early health outcomes.

Long-Term Effects of Inequality

Cumulative disadvantages lead to higher rates of chronic diseases and premature mortality.

Importance of Preventive Care

Encouraging early health interventions to mitigate disparities across socioeconomic groups.

Cultural Adaptation in Health Behaviors

Migrants adapt some behaviors to new norms while retaining others influenced by core cultural values.

Integration of Traditional and Modern Medicine

Combining cultural remedies with evidence-based medicine improves health outcomes in diverse groups.

Role of Health Psychology

Studies cultural, social, and psychological factors influencing health behaviors globally. Example: Stress management interventions for chronic disease patients.

Gender and Health Inequalities

Gender norms and roles influence health behaviors and access to care. Example: Men delaying medical visits due to cultural masculinity norms.

Biological Factors in Gender Health Differences

Includes reproductive health, disease prevalence, and life expectancy differences between genders. Example: Women live longer but experience more chronic conditions.

Psychological Factors in Gender Health

Women are more prone to depression and anxiety; men exhibit higher rates of substance abuse and suicide. Example: Social support often buffers women's mental health issues.

Social Factors in Gender Health

Men face occupational risks, while women often shoulder unpaid caregiving responsibilities. Example: Workplace injury rates are higher among men.

Impact of Gender Norms on Health

Traditional roles influence health-seeking behaviors and stress levels differently for men and women. Example: Women are more likely to seek preventive care than men.

Challenges in Behavior Change

Complexity of interventions and linking theoretical models to techniques are major hurdles.

Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB)

Behavior is determined by attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control. Example: Smoking cessation programs focus on changing attitudes and perceived control.