4 Lay Beliefs Flashcards
What are LAY BELIEFS?
They are how people understand and make sense of health and illness.
They are constructed by people without specialist knowledge, thus are not watered down medical knowledge.
They are complex and are drawn from multiple sources.
They can be become SOCIALLY EMBEDDED and accepted
What are the 3 perceptions of health?
NEGATIVE - health= absence of illness
FUNCTIONAL - health= the ability to do certain things
POSITIVE - Health is a state of wellbeing and fitness
There appears to be a link between which perception you have and your SES
What is an example of a topic people may have lay beliefs about?
INHERITANCE of DISEASE
May have their own ideas of how inheritance work that are incorrect, based on what they’ve heard socially.
COPD
Patients may cite people they know who smoke but do not have COPD.
What is a health behaviour?
Activity undertaken for the purpose of maintaining health or preventing illness.
What is an Illness Behaviour?
The activity of an ill person to define illness and seek solution
What is a SICK ROLE behaviour?
Formal response to symptoms- e.g. seeking formal health and coming to terms with their new role as someone who is ill.
Why has smoking persisted among lower SES groups?
They are more likely to have a NEGATIVE PERCEPTION OF HEALTH , whereas as those in higher SES will have a POSITIVE PERCEPTION. Less incentives for those in lower SES to give up smoking.
Over a two week period, 75% of the population will have 1 symptom of ill health. What did the respondents do when they noticed?
50% did nothing
35% led to LAY CARE –> use of OTC medicines
12% went to PRIMARY CARE
Most cases never see a doctor –> SYMPTOM ICEBERG
What infuences illness behaviour to mean that most people won’t visit the doctor when they have symptoms of ill health?
CULTURE - stoical attitude - don't make a fuss DISRUPTION CAUSED BY SYMPTOMS FREQUENCY OF SYMPTOMS PAIN TOLERANCE THRESHOLD AVAILABILITY OF PRIMARY CARE LAY REFERRAL
Should everyone present everytime they get a symptom of poor health?
NO - DoH supports SELF CARE. It is important for those with the right symptoms to see a doctor.
What is LAY REFERRAL?
75% of people discuss their symptoms with a friend/family member first, before contacting primary care.
This lay person either recommends they see the doctor or advises them not to.
Why is lay referral important?
The lay advice may be incorrect and delay people seeking help. They may also recommend the use of potentially harmful alternative medicines.
Apply the concept of EARLY PRESENTERS and DELAYERS (lay referral) to the example of rheumatoid arthritis.
EARLY PRESENTERS often experienced significant loss of function and pain severity –> went straight to GP
DELAYERS- developed own explanations for symptoms of RA, asked family members if they should see the doctor and received advice not to.
Why do people delay in seeking treatment for MI
Association with MI and immediate death (lay belief) thus this cannot be MI pain
No complete loss of function, can still carry on. Lay beliefs lack of knowledge of variation of symptoms.
How can LAY BELIEFS and ADHERENCE be linked? Consider the 3 groups that those who use asthma inhalers can be grouped into.
DENIERS & DISTANCERS
Denied ever having “proper” asthma, symptoms did not interfere with everyday life.
Adherence decreased because taking medication relies on accepting asthmatic identity
ACCEPTERS
Accepted diagnosis and doctor’s advice completely. Do not consider the identity as an asthmatic stigmatised.
PRAGMATISTS
Used inhalers when asthma was bad. Saw their asthma as a mild acute illness
