Health Behaviour Flashcards
What is health behaviour?
- any behaviour that has an impact on health
- can be positive or negative
What are the 6 (3 ACC??) models of health behaviour?
- Health Belief Model (HBM)
- Theory of Reasoned Action (TRA)
- Cognitive Dissonance Theory
- Transtheoretical Model
- Prime Theory
- COM-B Model
What is the health belief model?
- e.g person who smokes, wants to quit.
- stems from perceived threat- drives likelihood of change e.g. lung cancer
What are the 5 main things of the health belief model?
- Perceived susceptibility
= how likely you think you are to get the disease - Cues to action
= maybe someone giving you education/info - Modifying factors such as time/age/genetics that can affect the susceptibility
- Perceived benefits – e.g. lower risk of disease
- Perceived barriers – can’t tolerate withdrawal
ALL add up to Likelihood of behaviour change
What are the advantages of the health belief model?
- Identifies physical barriers (cost/travel/withdrawal) and their importance
- Compares ‘power’ of different factors, e.g. cue > cost
What are the disadvantages of the health belief model?
- doesn’t explain irrationality in health behaviour (delay in obtaining medical advice following symptoms)
- No mention of emotion & habits
- No mention of social factors (e.g. If your main social is going to the pub)
- Doesn’t explain all health changes (exercising for 6-pack vs reducing CV disease)
- Threat does not always predict behavior change for many health behaviors e.g. smoking.
What is the Theory of Reasoned Action (TRA)?
- Intention = what drives likelihood of change
- 3 things cause this:
Attitude: your own beliefs about the disease
Subjective Norm: What society thinks are the risks etc.
Perceived control: How easy you think the change will be
Actual control: How easy it actually is
What are the advantages of the theory of reasoned action?
Identifying perceived control
Identifies social norms
What are the disadvantages of the theory of reasoned action?
- People don’t always do what they intend to do = INTENTION BEHAVIOUR GAP
- No mention of emotion or habits
- doesnt take into account addictions
- doesnt look at future
- different morals determine different behaviours
What is the cognitive dissonance theory?
so you might have 2 cognitions which contradict lol
Cognition 1: Smoking is bad for my health
Cognition 2: smoking eases my stress
How do you reduce the impact of the clashing cognitions?
- Changing one or both cognitions: convince yourself you feel better when smoking
= benefits outweigh cost - Eliminating one or both cognitions:
= convince self that smoking dangers are exaggerated - Avoiding thinking about the cognitions: e.g.
= dont discuss your smoking problem
·- Adding a cognition that allows the two conflicting cognitions to be reconciled
= i will reduce smoking in the new year
= i cant stop smoking bc im too addicted now
- Changing behaviour e.g. Reducing smoking
What is the advantage of the cognitive dissonance theory?
- easy to use
- make someone feel guilty
- use in counselling
What is the disadvantage of the cognitive dissonance theory?
- no social/emotional factors or barriers
- purely individual and cognition focused
- RISKY
What is the Transtheoretical Model?
- Precontemplation – no intention to change but becomes more aware of costs/benefits
- Contemplation – desire to change within in the future e.g. “within 6 months”
- Preparation – intend to change in the near future and you take steps towards behaviour change.
- Action – behaviour change
- Maintenance – continued for 6 months or more
- (Relapse ☹) – may go back to the way it was before behaviour change
What are advantages of the transtheoretical model?
- Easy to implement into daily life
