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Flashcards in Risky health behaviour Deck (17)
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1
Q

What has been the focus of health promotion and disease prevention studies?

A

possible harms associated with particular INDIVIDUAL health behaviours

have ignored:
- socio-cultural contexts in which these behaviours exist

2
Q

How is a ‘health risk’ assessed?

A

aggregating statistical probabilities of a particular set of actions linked to disease outcomes across whole populations.

3
Q

What does the epidemiological approach seek to identify?

A

the ‘at risk’ group

e.g. smokers, obese
these groups are targeted for health promotion interventions

4
Q

What are the main issues of the epidemiological construction of risk?

A
  • based on statistical extrapolation
  • too much focus on the individual health risk
  • not enough focus on the sociocultural contexts in which risk behaviours occur
5
Q

Why is health risk is not primarily volitional in nature?

A

environmental factors (often beyond control) can determine relative ‘risk exposure’

e.g. where you live, what your job is etc

6
Q

What should health risk be presented as for policy decision?

A

absolute measures of risk

not RR

7
Q

How do social scientists think ‘risk’ should be used?

A

it should be utilised in relation to health outcomes and in terms of:

8
Q

What 2 factors should risk in ‘health outcomes’ be addressed in terms of?

A
  • sociocultural context in which expert assessments are interpreted (not accessible to general public)
  • wider social context where hazards occur
9
Q

What is the social construct of risky behaviour model?

A
  • emphasised CULTURAL RELATIVITY of risk
  • shared value system: influence individual and social group interpretation of risk
  • contribution of uncertainty and anxiety: risk perception and occurrence
10
Q

What is the challenge for preventative healthcare in risky health outcomes?

A
  • to translate numbers into a meaningful but accurate message to give to lay public
  • lay public tend to convert numbers into ‘all or nothing’ measures
11
Q

What are common interprations of ‘risky’ behaviours/events for lay public?

A
  • observed that people tend to use everyday risk as a barometer on how to react to ‘risky’ actions
    if it’s a novel situation where risk is thought to happen, we can rationalise and prepare
12
Q

How does manhood or ego affect approach to risky health behaviour?

A

seen in studies of young men, especially those who are socially disadvantaged

will disregard danger and risk in order to protect one’s ego/manhood

13
Q

What is the ‘risk society’ thesis?

A
  • we are now living in a society where industrialisation has created more hazards than benefits
  • perspective that technical progress has brought unintentional consequences that have big implications for health and risk
    e. g. nuclear power, climate change
  • forces people to accept or consider an uncertain future with elevated risk with little or no control
  • Risk = almost a guarantee in society and no longer a question of acting rationally
14
Q

What switch in thinking about risk does the ‘risk society thesis’ make?

A

Perception of risk

category of understanding -> category of fear

causes hyper vigilance of risk in society

15
Q

What are the implications of ‘risk society’ for individuals?

A

willingness of individuals to:

  • respond to warnings on risky behaviour
  • to adopt ‘healthy lifestyles’
16
Q

How should a risk assessment be made in regard to health outcomes?

A
  • statistical predictions
  • in conjunction with cultural, social and environmental factors
  • combo with high uncertainty should inform assessment
17
Q

When is risk communication most effective?

A

structures as a dialogue

not a one-way fact schpiel from experts -> public