Health Beliefs

Question 1

What are lay health beliefs/knowledge?

Answer 1

Perspectives, beliefs and assumptions of ordinary people (i.e. non-professional) about their health but this does not mean they are not informed by knowledge - often complex + sophisticated and can be sensible or irrational

Question 2

What are beliefs?

Answer 2

Things we believe to be true

Question 3

What is a common example of a lay health belief?

Answer 3

You’ll catch a cold if you go outside with wet hair (research has proven this is not true)

Question 4

What is a common example of a lay health belief from patients?

Answer 4

I am not at risk of heart disease because I am thin

Question 5

Where do health beliefs come from?

Answer 5

Rooted in socio-cultural contexts in which we live and can be informed by medical and health knowledge

Question 6

What factors shape peoples health beliefs?

Answer 6

Place in society

Culture (not just religion + ethnicity)

Personal biography (experience)

Social identity e.g. gender, sexuality, ethnicity + occupation

Question 7

What is culture?

Answer 7

Values, norms and traditions that affect how individuals of a particular group perceive, think, interact, behave and make judgements about their world - shapes the way we think, feel and experience our lives

Question 8

We all have ___ cultures.

Answer 8

Multiple

Question 9

What is the biggest misconception regarding culture?

Answer 9

It is something that other people have, when everybody has a culture

Question 10

Why are lay health beliefs important to doctors?

Answer 10

1. Insights into needs of patients: info and support
2. Influence health seeking behaviour:
   - How people respond to symptoms
   - Decisions about consulting
   - Expectations about treatment
   - Concordance with treatment plans

Question 11

What do people do when they experience symptoms?

Answer 11

1. See GP (or other healthcare professional)
2. Do nothing
3. Self-medicate
4. Consult someone else

Question 12

What influences a patients decision to consult a professional regarding symptoms?

Answer 12

1. Perception of symptoms: frequency, familiarity, duration etc.
2. Explanation of symptoms: can they explain their symptoms or not? E.G. headache due to hangover in contrast to no reason
3. Evaluation of symptoms: costs + benefits

Question 13

What social triggers exist to encourage a patient to seek medical help?

Answer 13

Interference with social/personal relationships

Interference with vocational/physical activity

‘Sanctioning’ by others - influence of lay referral system

A temporalizing of symptomology

Interpersonal crisis

Question 14

Why might a patient delay seeking professional help with symptoms?

Answer 14

1. Perception of symptom: infrequent, short duration etc.
2. Explanation of symptom: makes sense of symptom by finding alternative explanations
3. Evaluation of symptom: not perceived as series as short-lived, will seek help if happens again, may discuss with family/friend (lay/referral system) + recovery so not much doctor can do

Question 15

What is a common disorder that patient’s do not seek help for? Why?

Answer 15

Transient Ischaemic Attack (TIA) as they are brief episodes of decreased brain blood supply - symptoms are not as severe as stroke and resolve within 24 hours

Question 16

What is a health behaviour?

Answer 16

Behaviours related to the health status of the individual

Question 17

What are good health behaviours? Give some examples.

Answer 17

Behaviours that promote good physical health and wellbeing e.g. sleeping for 7-8 hours per night, regular exercise, healthy eating, eating breakfast every morning etc.

Question 18

What are health protective behaviours? Give some examples.

Answer 18

Behaviours that aim to prevent health problems e.g. wearing a seatbelt, attending regular check-ups, health screening etc.

Question 19

What are health impairing habits? Give some examples.

Answer 19

Behaviours that promote bad physical health and wellbeing e.g. smoking, high fat diet, alcohol abuse etc.

Question 20

What is the dual pathway model?

Answer 20

Psychological processes such as stressors can influence your physical health in 2 ways:

1. DIRECTLY via stress/anxiety
2. INDIRECTLY through unhealthy coping behaviours e.g. smoking + drinking

Question 21

What factors are included in the biopsychosocial model?

Answer 21

Bio: viruses, bacteria + genetics

Psycho: behaviour, emotions, beliefs, coping + stress

Social: class, employment + ethnicity

Question 22

What are determinants of health behaviour?

Answer 22

Background factors
Stable factors
Social factors
Situational factors

Question 23

What are background factors?

Answer 23

Characteristics that define the context in which people live their lives

Question 24

What are stable factors?

Answer 24

Individual differences (personality) in psychological activity that vary between people but are stable over time and context within people

Question 25

What are social factors?

Answer 25

Social connections in the immediate environment

Question 26

What are situational factors?

Answer 26

Appraisal of personal relevance that shape responses in a specific situation

Question 27

What 3 ways can stable factors influence appraisal?

Answer 27

1. They determine if, and to what extent, an event is salient i.e. sensitivity towards particular types of event 2. They provide a generalised framework for understand and evaluating the event e.g. as threat or challenge 3. They make available or suggest potential responses i.e. initial response options

Question 28

What are the 3 broad types of individual differences?

Answer 28

1. Emotional dispositions: psychological processes involved in experience + expression (present) 2. Generalised expectancies (locus of control + self-efficacy): psychological processes involved in formulating expectations in relation to future outcomes (future) 2. Explanatory styles (optimism/pessimism + attributional style): psychological processes involved in explaining causes of negative events (past)

Question 29

What are the 5 types of emotional dispositions (personality traits)?

Answer 29

O: openness to new experiences (intellect, interest in culture, artistic, curious, imaginative, wide range of interests) C: conscientiousness (will to achieve, self-disciplined, efficient, organised, reliable, thorough) E: extroversion (outgoing, talkative, enthusiastic, seeking excitement, assertive, active) A: agreeableness (loving, friendly, compliant, sympathetic, appreciative, trusting, kind, forgiving, generous) N: neuroticism (more -ve emotions, anxious, tense, worried, hostile, self-pitying, vulnerable)

Question 30

What is the locus of control?

Answer 30

Expectations that future outcomes will be determined by factors that are either internal (self) or external (powerful others, and chance)

Question 31

What is the outcome of internal and external locus of control?

Answer 31

Internal locus of control is generally associated with more favourable outcomes and performance of health behaviours than external, but is dependent on situational factors

Question 32

What do people with an internal locus of control tend to believe?

Answer 32

They are responsible for their own health Illness can be avoided by taking care of themselves Ill health results in part from not eating correctly or not getting enough exercise

Question 33

What is self-efficacy?

Answer 33

Belief in one's own ability to organise and execute a course of action, and the expectation that the action will result in, or lead to, a desired outcome - a trait psychologists try to get people to achieve a higher level of

Question 34

What is optimism?

Answer 34

Expectation of positive future outcome (however achieved) despite current negative event - low levels of physiological reactivity in mild + moderate levels of stress and promotes active coping responses

Question 35

What are the outcomes of optimism versus pessimism?

Answer 35

Optimism is associated with better physical health, illness recovery and health behaviour performance

Question 36

What is pessimism?

Answer 36

Expectation of negative future outcome

Question 37

What is attributional style?

Answer 37

Causal explanations of negative events as internal (self), permanent (time) and global (situation)

Question 38

What are social cognition theories?

Answer 38

Attempt to explain relationship between social cognitions (e.g. beliefs, attitudes, goals etc.) and behaviour

Question 39

What are 3 examples of social cognition theories?

Answer 39

1. HBM 2. TPB 3. Transtheoretical model AKA stages of change

Question 40

What is the health-belief model (HBM)?

Answer 40

Perceived susceptibility + perceived severity = perceived threat Perceived benefits + perceived barriers = perceived efficacy Perceived threat + perceived efficacy = health behaviour

Question 41

What is the theory of planned behaviour (TPB)?

Answer 41

Behavioural beliefs + outcome evaluation = behavioural attitude Normative beliefs + motivation to comply = subjective norm Control beliefs + self-efficacy = perceived behavioural control Behavioural attitude + subjective norm + perceived behavioural control = behavioural intention = behaviour

Question 42

What is the transtheoretical model?

Answer 42

Stages of change: 1. Precontemplation (experiential) 2. Contemplation, preparation + action (processes of change) 5. Maintenance (behavioural) Self efficacy and pros allows you to move forward whilst temptations and cons move you backwards (relapse can occur at any stage)