Health psychology, behaviour change and smoking cessation Flashcards
(48 cards)
What are the 3 main categories of health behaviours?
Behaviours related to health:
- Health behaviour
- Illness behaviour
- Sick role behaviour
What is health psychology?
Role of psychological factors in the cause, progression + consequences of health + illness
EXAM: Aims to (1) promote healthy behaviours + (2) prevent illness
What are the aims of health psychology?
Promote healthy behaviours
Prevent illness
What is health behaviour? Give an example
A behaviour aimed to PREVENT DISEASE (E.g. eating healthy)
Two categories: health damaging and health promoting behaviours
What is illness behaviour? Give an example
A behaviour aimed to SEEK REMEDY (e.g. go to the doctor)
What is sick role behaviour? Give an example
Any activity aimed at getting well (e.g. taking prescribed medications, resting)
Give 4 examples of health damaging/impairing behaviours
- alcohol abuse
- substance abuse
- smoking
- risky sexual behaviour
- sun exposure
- driving without a seatbelt
Give some examples of health promoting behaviours
- exercise
- eating healthy
- attending health checks
- medication compliance
- vaccinations
What 2 types of intervention can be done to improve health? Explain them. Give two examples
(EXAM Q)
Population level (health promotion) - via PHE –> process of enabling people to exert control over the determinants of health, thereby improving health. e.g. change 4 life
Individual level (patient centred approach) - care that is responsive to the patient’s need. e.g. smoking cessation clinics
Give some examples of health promotion campaigns
Change 4 Life + “5 a day”
Stoptober
Exam Q: Explain the difference between public health interventions delivered at the population (ecological) and individual levels, using one example for each to illustrate your answer.
Health interventions delivered at a population level are aimed at health promotion. It involves enabling people to exert control over the determinants of health, thereby improving health. It is done by public health england. E.g. Change 4 life campaign (or Stoptober)
Individual level interventions is based upon a pt centred approach. it is care responsive to individual needs. E.g., smoking cessation clinics?
Give an example of how an primary care intervention aimed at reducing alcohol consumption can impact individual, community and population levels (EXAM)
Individual level: reduced domestic violence, reduced alcohol consumption, improved individual health outcomes
local level: reduced local alcohol sales, reduced alcohol related a/e visits
population level: reduced crime, reduced demographic patterns of liver cirrhosis, reduced national alcohol sales
Why might knowledge of risk factors (e.g. smoking causing lung cancer) not influence a patients behaviours?
Unrealistic optimism - inaccurate perceptions of risk and perceptbility –> 4 reasons influencing perceptions of risk:
- Lack of personal experience with problem
- belief that preventable by personal action
- belief that if not happened by now, its not likely to
- belief that problem is infrequent
other reasons: health beliefs, situational rationality, culture variability, stress, age, socioeconomic factors
What influences a person’s perception of risk?
- Lack of personal experience with problem
- belief that preventable by personal action
- belief that if not happened by now, its not likely to
- belief that problem is infrequent
What are the NICE guidance on behaviour change?
- Work with your patient’s priorities
- Aim for easy changes over time
- Set and record goals
- Plan explicit coping strategies
- Review progress regularly (this really matters)
- Remember the public health impact of lots of you making small differences to individuals
What factors influence compliance to medication?
- SEs (How to get around this? Education – explaining the complications of the disease)
- Misinformed (e.g. SSRIs are addictive, MMR causes autism) due to headlines
- Cognitive functioning / mental capacity of the patient to help: use of assistive devices (e.g. day
- If patient is asymptomatic (e.g. for primary prevention) – they think they don’t need to take it
- Socioeconomic position – people from disadvantaged backgrounds likely to not take medication (maybe cost of prescription?)
give some examples of health promotion interventions?
Screening, vaccination, change4life, 5-a-day
Exam Q (will come up): how a intervention impacts on an individual level, local level, and population level
Individual: improved individual health outcomes (e.g. reduced rates of lung cancer)
Local: reduced local rates?, reduced littering (E.g. smoking)
Population level: improved demographic health patterns (E.g. lung cancer)
Exam q (Will come up): what is the best theory to explain why people engage in health impairing behaviours?
Unrealistic optimism: individuals continue to practice health damaging behaviour due to INACCURATE PERCEPTIONS OF RISK and SUSCEPTIBILITY
EXAM Q: what is a meta-analysis?
Pooling of the data of the best possible evidence to give a forest plot to see the effect of something
can be done in a systematic review
Exam Q (will come up): There are 3 main behaviours related to health. Specify the 3 types of health related behaviours and provide an example of each (6 marks)
- Health behaviour: a behaviour aimed to prevent disease (e.g. eating healthily)
- Illness behaviour: a behaviour aimed to seek remedy (e.g. going to the dr)
- Sick role behaviour: an activity aimed at getting well (e.g. taking prescribed medications, resting
Exam Q (will come up): Theory of planned behaviour suggests that behaviours are governed by our intentions to carry out target behaviours. Specify the 3 factors that influence our intentions and give an example of each in relation to smoking cessation (6 marks)
- Attitudes: e.g. I don’t think smoking is a good thing
- Subjective norm: e.g. most people who are important to me want me to give up smoking
- Perceived behaviour control: e.g. I believe I have the ability to give up smoking
Exam Q (will come up): The transtheoretical model, or stages of change model, specifies 5 sequential stages that an individual will pass through in order for behaviour change to occur. What are these stages?
- Pre-contemplation, contemplation, preparation, action, maintenance
Exam Q (will come up): Considering the NICE guidelines on behaviour change – interventions to change health related behaviours should work in partnership with individuals, communities, organizations and populations. Identify 3 typical transition points whereby interventions are likely to be more effective (3 marks)
- Leaving school
- Entering the workforce
- Becoming a parent
- Becoming unemployed
- Retirement + bereavement