Health compromising behaviours
e. g. disordered eating, alcohol/substance abuse, smoking, unsafe sexual practices, excessive exposure to sun
- Psychological factors that influence physical & psychological health directly
- Psychological responses to physical & psychological health
Health promoting behaviours
e. g. exercise, healthy eating, health risk screening, dental hygiene, safe sexual practices
- Psychological factors that influence physical & psychological health directly
- Psychological responses to physical & psychological health
Health Belief Model
PERCEIVED SUSCEPTIBILITY PERCEIVED SEVERITY BENEFITS & BARRIERS TO ACTION CUES TO ACTION SELF-EFFICACY
Perceived susceptibility - HBM
individual’s perception that they are likely to contract a particular condition
Perceived severity - HBM
individual’s perception of the how serious a condition is, the impact it will have on their lives
Benefits and barriers to action - HBM
individual’s evaluations of the benefits & costs to be gained from stopping behaviour
Cues to action - HBM
ancillary factors that influence whether or not person is willing to engage in health behaviour
Self efficacy - HBM
individual’s confidence in their ability to take action
Theory of Reasoned Action
Attitudes Towards Behaviour - what are the outcomes of engaging in this behaviour? \+ Subjective Norm - do others think I should engage in this behaviour? --> Intention --> Behaviour
Theory of Planned Behaviour
Attitudes Towards Behaviour - what are the outcomes of engaging in this behaviour? \+ Subjective Norm - do others think I should engage in this behaviour? \+ Perceived Behavioural Control - can I engage in this behaviour? (links to behaviour) --> Intention --> Behaviour
Transtheoretical Model
*look up image
Barriers to Health Promotion - Groups
- Individual
- Family
- Health system barriers
- Community, cultural & ethnic barriers
Individual barriers to health promotion
- Health-compromising behaviours are more rewarding in short-term, negative effects do not occur immediately
- Health-promoting behaviours are less enjoyable, more effortful, positive effects do not occur immediately
- Unrealistic optimism
- Motivated ignorance
Family barriers to health promotion
- Parent modelling
Health system barriers to health promotion
- lack of health insurance
- doctor-patient relationship
Community, cultural and ethnic barriers to health promotion
- social norms
- impoverishment
Stress
- Stress is a challenge to one’s capacity to adapt to inner & outer demands
- Stress threatens or is perceived to threaten one’s wellbeing, & therefore taxes one’s coping abilities
- Stress is an everyday event
Stress Appraisal
PRIMARY APPRAISAL
Is a situation stressful, benign, or irrelevant?
–>
SECONDARY APPRAISAL
How do I respond to this stress?
- emotional forecasting
- stress is in the eye of the beholder
Stress - Major Types
Lazarus’ three types:
- Harm or loss
Damage that has already occurred (e.g. accident, job loss)
- Threat
Anticipation of harm or loss (e.g. fear of failing, fear of regret)
- Challenge
Opportunity for growth
Stress Sources
Change / life events
- Noticeable alterations in one’s living circumstances that require readjustment
-> Catastrophes
Stressors occurring on a mass level
► Natural (e.g. floods, bushfires, earthquakes, tsunamis)
► Human (e.g. war, conflict)
Associated with loss
- Daily hassles
Irritating, frustrating, distressing everyday demands
Social Readjustment Rating Scale
(Holmes & Rahe, 1997)
measures exposure to stressful life events
Most stressful event – death of loved one (spouse/child)
► Associated with mortality
Acculturative stress: Stress experienced when trying to adapt to a new culture
Stress Physiology
Fight or Flight (Cannon, 1932)
- Autonomic nervous system mobilises organism for attacking (fight) or fleeing (flight) an enemy
- Not so adaptive in the modern world for humans
- Lengthy stressors leave individuals in a state of enduring physiological arousal
Stress Physiology Examples
- pupils dilate
- saliva flow decreases
- quick, deep breathing
- heart beats harder and faster
- output of digestive enzymes decreases
- food movement slows
- blood vessels constrict; chills and sweating
- blood pressure increases as major vessels dilate
- muscles become tense, trembling can occur
General Adaptation Syndrome (Selye, 1956)
ALARM Recognition of threat Heightened physiological arousal --> RESISTANCE Stress continues Physiological changes stabilise as coping begins --> EXHAUSTION Resources are limited Physiological arousal decreases Resistance reduced Can lead to collapse
