Week 2 Healthy behaviours Flashcards
(95 cards)
Primary goals of health psychology include…
preventing illness, promoting good health and assisting with treatment.
Give an example of preventive behavior change in health psychology.
Encouraging people to wear sunscreen to avoid skin cancer.
At which levels can behavior change be achieved?
Societal, environmental, social, and individual levels.
What are examples of societal-level interventions for behavior change?
Policy changes and mass media campaigns.
What is an example of environmental manipulation for behavior change?
Improving the availability of green spaces and fresh produce.
How does social influence contribute to behavior change?
Through the support and influence of family and friends.
What factors should be understood to change behaviors in context?
The cues (triggers) for behavior and the consequences of the behavior.
Why is it important to evaluate the impact of behavior change interventions?
To determine if the intervention has had a meaningful impact.
How can we measure whether behavior change has been meaningful?
By measuring and analyzing the behavior.
What framework is used to discuss levels of intervention
The ecological model: societal, environmental, social, and individual levels.
What is the primary focus of health psychologists regarding health behaviours?
Health psychologists focus on promoting health behaviours like eating a healthy diet, engaging in physical activity, immunisation, wearing sun-protective clothing, and limiting alcohol consumption.
Why do health psychologists focus on health behaviours even if people aren’t sick?
Health behaviours prevent disease and illness later in life, such as chronic diseases like cancer, cardiovascular disease, and type 2 diabetes.
What percentage of the years of life lost due to premature death in Australia is attributed to cancer and cardiovascular disease?
Over 50%.
Why don’t people adopt healthy behaviours, even when they know the benefits?
Knowledge alone rarely leads to behaviour change because health behaviours are complex and influenced by many factors.
What model is often used to understand the broad levels of influence on health behaviour?
The ecological model.
What does the ecological model examine in relation to health behaviour?
t examines societal, environmental, social, and individual influences on behaviour.
What is Australia’s most common cancer type in people aged 12 to 24?
Skin cancer.
Despite awareness, what percentage of Australians regularly use sun protection during peak UV times?
Fewer than 50%.
What influences the likelihood of adopting sun protection behaviours in Australia?
Factors such as age, gender, geographic location, and cultural attitudes toward tanning.
Why do adolescents and young adults in Australia continue to tan despite knowledge of skin cancer risks?
They perceive a tan as desirable and continue to deliberately sun expose themselves.
What critical thinking question is raised about sun protection and sun exposure behaviours?
Identify factors influencing these behaviours at each level of the ecological model and whether they vary with age, gender, and geographic location.
What are societal influences on health behaviour?
Societal influences occur at state, national, or global levels, shaping health behaviours through policy, legislation, and mass media campaigns.
How do changes in policy or legislation influence health behaviour?
They result in widespread change by making health behaviours mandatory or creating barriers to engaging in risky behaviours, such as taxes on alcohol and tobacco.
Give an example of a policy that significantly changed societal health behaviour.
The compulsory wearing of seatbelts or bans on smoking inside restaurants.