INTRODUCTION
Ideally, it can be that certain psychological theories would integrate to such health processes such as those socially inclined health related programs as geared towards the providing of such ample solutions to issues and certain problems relating to health in such behavior implications that can amiably execute and realize such health goals and its respected approaches through careful choosing and recognition of such promotion programs pertaining to health delivery and its efforts. These psychological theories signifies the awareness of its functions and such applications as directed towards a more precise and comprehensive understanding of such health mechanisms offering wide understanding of certain health promotion program design.
Thus, such psychological theories such as the health belief model, theory of reasoned action and others are subject to assessment of its related strengths and weaknesses as reflected in such modern health promotion paradigms as such theory can imply to individual needs but in a way, there can be attempts to bring about such changes that are socially motivated by the cycle means of change particularly pointing to such community, organization groups and the wider social level in respect to health values and principles from within such ideal psychological assumptions.
DISCUSSION POINTS
The following psychological theories will be discussed and explained in such appropriate assessment of its strengths and weaknesses in support to such information and knowledge driven ideas relating to health promotion and delivery programs
The health belief model
The Health Belief Model or the HBM has been greatly used as a conceptual framework for the understanding health behavior as catering to the promotion of such medical compliance and health screening use in aspect of such behavior notion. The core strength of the model can be found within the understanding that certain individual will take such health-related action if he feels for instance that negative health condition can be avoided with positive expectation that by taking planned action, the person will shun negative health condition. Another strength is that, Health Belief Model adheres for motivating people to take positive health actions that uses the desire to avoid a negative health consequence as the prime motivation. (Cited from, Becker, 1974 p. 411; Strecher and Rosenstock, 1997)
Generally, the HBM can be an effective framework to use when developing health education strategies and can be used alone as the theoretical basis of a health education program or it can be used in combination with other models, learning theories and approaches. Since no model or learning theory can explain or predict all aspects of health behavior, combining compatible theories and models can create stronger health education programs. Then, there combines with such social learning theory (Cited from, Bandura in Eisen, et.al., 1992 p. 221) desired for health education programs in such a way of understanding the curriculum in use as well as for developing innovative programs and such adaptation of certain health related program by means of adding key elements of the model.
Thus, there can also be weaknesses and or challenges pertaining to the health belief model for one, the model stresses personal responsibility, which may lead people to feel it is their fault if they cannot solve their own health problems. Aside, the providing of such meaningful cues to action can be challenging, especially as time passes. The HBM focuses on beliefs and attitudes and may be less appropriate for dealing with habitual behaviors like smoking, dieting, or other emotionally motivated health behaviors as these types of behaviors have to be addressed separately.
The HBM is good fit for prevention-focused programs because these programs generally promote specific actions, and the HBM helps participants to take action. However, HBM is not always good fit for comprehensive family life education programs which tend to be more information-based and wider in scope of topics. Truly it can be that, the model is much more effective for multiple layer intervention in such combination of the interventions like, educational ad campaign as it is more effective than any single intervention and achieve specific change.
Afterwards, the model soon changed shape when applied to another set of problems concerning immunization and more broadly to people’s different responses to public health measures and their uses of health services. The Health Belief Model relates largely to the cognitive factors predisposing person to health behavior, concluding with a belief in one’s self-efficacy for the behavior. (Cited from, Kreuter, Farrell, Olevitch and Brennan, 2000) The model leaves something to be explained by factors enabling and reinforcing one’s behavior and these factors become increasingly important when the model is used to explain and predict more complex lifestyle behaviors that needs to be maintained over lifetime. Nevertheless, the model was displaced in frequency of application by stages of change model and remain valuable guide to practitioners in planning the communication component of health education programs.
Theory of reasoned action/planned behavior
Moreover, speaking of theory of reasoned action it can be that there is acquisition of detailed health process in such delivery of programs that adheres to such behavior issues emancipating the essence of core values and principles of health in the whole aspect. Thus, there shows the recognition of such thorough understanding of the underlying reasoned phenomena as for example in support to such through initial health decisions and continued behavior display of norms and patterns. Then, integral to the theory of reasoned action is instrument development that consists of scales to measure intention, and the direct and belief-based measures of attitude, subjective norm, and perceived behavioral control. Measures of intention, attitude, subjective norm, and perceived behavioral control are developed according to standard procedures for designing and testing such instruments. Beliefs about what outcomes would occur from cheating, identified in the first stage of this study, were related to compliance intentions. (Cited from, Weinstein, Lyon, Sandman and Cuite, 1998 p. 118)
The Theory of Reasoned Action suggest that such person’s behavior is determined by his intention to perform the behavior and that this intention is a function of his attitude toward the behavior and his/her subjective norm. The approaches and the supportive findings are important given the original conceptualization of argumentativeness as trait that determines argument intentions depending on the individual’s assessment of the situation. For instance, a high argumentative might sometimes be disinclined to argue, whereas a low argumentative might sometimes be strongly moved to argue. The theory maintains that person’s decision to engage in purposeful activity is a function of several factors, some of which are highly situational bound and all of which may be mediated by personal dispositions or traits. Conversely, the approach tendency overrides the avoidance tendency for those persons who have positive expectations for and excitement about arguing controversial issues. (Cited from, Weinstein, Lyon, Sandman and Cuite, 1998 p. 118) Furthermore, in promoting health with regards to the theory in utilization there can be that such delivery of health outcomes would provide valuable information for development and delivery of such related education and training towards better understanding of the process and its skills formation as well as related application of health strategies applied directly to actual social, personal behavior problems as an imperative health promotion goal.
Model of social influence
The social influence models recognise that social factors play a major role in the initiation and early stages of drug use. Social influences may arise from the media, peers and the family. The models are significant because they were the first approaches in prevention designed to essentially change behaviours. (Cited from, Weinstein, Lyon and Sandman, 1998 p. 118) The social influence model presents an alternative to other approaches such as information dissemination and affective education, and is the predecessor of ‘competence enhancement’. Social influence models make up several of the core components still used in the most successful prevention approaches.
As for instance, Bandura (Cited from, Bandura in Eisen, et.al., 1992 p. 221) developed certain theory which establish personality as interaction of the environment in such health related behavior change in such ideal psychological processes. Thus, also called observational learning, social learning theory emphasises the importance of observing and modelling the behaviours, attitudes and emotional reaction of others. The modelling process is made up of the processes of attention, retention, reproduction and motivation. For example, if someone with psychological disorder observes someone else dealing with the same problem in a more productive fashion, then the first person will learn by modelling the behaviour of the second person. (Cited from, Glanz, Lewis and Rimer, 1997)
There is also the application and realization of life skills approach as built around creating opportunities for young people to acquire skills that enable them to avoid manipulation by outside influences. It aims to help young people to achieve control over their behaviour while taking informed decisions that can lead to positive behaviour and values. Therefore, efforts to modify substance use must focus on changing the person’s environment rather than the person.
The stages of change model
The advent of stages of change model assume that there can be changes within the entrenched behavior addressing such overeating, addiction to alcohol and diverse of health problems affecting people’s lives. The model then, recognizes that relapse is common. For example, many smokers have to make several attempts before they quit for good. But instead of viewing relapse as failure, the Stages of Change model sees relapse as an opportunity to learn how to sustain change more effectively in the future. There can be such strength and or weakness in lieu to such tailored health messages build on information about people and their behavior change situations. By learning about certain particular stage of change and how that person views the pros and cons of changing behavior, designers of tailored health messages can craft information that pushes the right buttons because it is relevant and useful to that individual at that particular stage in the change process. (Cited from, Glanz, Lewis and Rimer, 1997)
There is creation of positive and realistic climate and be able to turn relapses and setbacks into learning opportunities which translate progress down the road. The helping of program participants stay motivated and watch them make innovative, healthy habits in making permanent part of their daily lives. (Cited from, Miller and Rollnick, 1991; Prochaska, Johnson and Lee, 1998) However, incorporating stages of change into health delivery or other program requires some investments of time and other resources. Other weakness or challenges can be the figuring out instruments and other tools that accurately assess participants’ stages of change as well as adapting programs to incorporate the stages of change model in beneficial ways for evaluating and assessing fresh efforts respectively.
The modelshows that change in behavior occurs with the patient moving from being uninterested, unaware to make change, to considering change, to deciding and preparing to make change. The model is useful for selecting appropriate interventions. (Cited from, Miller and Rollnick, 1991; Prochaska, Johnson and Lee, 1998) By identifying patient’s position in the change process, physicians can tailor the intervention, usually with skills they already possess. Thus, the focus is not to convince the patient to change behavior but to help the patient move along the stages of change. Using the framework of the model the goal for single encounter is shift from the grandiose, realistic move to the next. (Cited from, Samuelson, 1998 p. 422)
CONCLUSION
Therefore, those psychological theories in focus above do amicably provides a clear picture of such value and significance of how useful these theories are for explaining health efforts in such choice of delivery as reflected to such health related behavior change from within. Basically, true to its functionality, Health Belief Model has been designed for the understanding health behavior as catering to the promotion of such medical compliance and health screening use in aspect of such behavior notion and can be considered as effective framework to use when developing health education strategies and can be used alone as the theoretical basis of health education program, or it can be used in combination with other models, learning theories and approaches. Next, the theory of reasoned action it can be that there is acquisition of detailed health process in such delivery of programs that adheres to such behavior issues emancipating the essence of core values and principles of health in the whole aspect.
In addition, there is promotion from within the theory in utilization there can be that such delivery of health outcomes would provide valuable data for development and delivery of such related education and training towards better understanding of the process and its skills formation as well as related application of health strategies as imperative health promotion goal. There is social influence model that recognize social factors playing good role in the initiation and early stages of drug use presenting alternative means to approaches.
For example, if someone with a psychological disorder observes someone else dealing with the same problem in a more productive fashion, then the first person will learn by modelling the behaviour of the second person. The stages of change model assume that there can be changes within the entrenched behavior addressing such overeating, addiction to alcohol and diverse of health problems affecting people’s lives. The model then, recognizes that relapse is common. Behavior change is discrete, single event; the patient moves gradually from being uninterested to considering change to deciding and preparing to make ample change.
REFERENCES
Becker, M. H., ed. (1974), “The Health Belief Model and Personal Health Behavior”. Health Education Monographs 2:324–473.
Eisen, Marvin et.al. (1992), “A Health Belief Model Social Learning Theory Approach to Adolescents’ Fertility Control: Findings from a Controlled Field Trial”. Health Education Quarterly. Vol. 19
Glanz, K.; Lewis, F. M. and Rimer, B. K. (1997), “Linking Theory, Research, and Practice.” In Health Behavior and Health Education: Theory, Research, and Practice, eds. K. Glanz, F. M. Lewis, and B. K. Rimer. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Kreuter, M., Farrell, D., Olevitch, L., and Brennan, L. (2000), “Tailoring Health Messages: Customizing Communication With Computer Technology”. Mahway, New Jersey: LEA Publishers.
Miller WR, Rollnick S. (1991), “Motivational interviewing: preparing people to change addictive behavior”. New York: Guilford
Prochaska, J.O., Johnson, S., and Lee, P. (1998), “The Transtheoretical Model of Behavior Change”. In: Shumaker, S.A., Schron, E.B., Ockene, J.K., and McBee, W.L. [Editors]. 1998. The Handbook of Health Behavior Change, 2nd Ed. Springer Publishing Company.
Samuelson, M. (1998), “Stages of Change: From Theory to Practice. The Art of Health Promotion”, newsletter. Vol. 2, No. 5
Strecher, V. J., and Rosenstock, I. M. (1997), “The Health Belief Model.” In Health Behavior and Health Education: Theory, Research, and Practice, eds. K. Glanz, F. M. Lewis, and B. K. Rimer. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Weinstein ND, Lyon JE, Sandman PM, Cuite CL. (1998), “Experimental evidence for stages of health behavior change: the precaution adoption process model applied to home radon testing”. Health Psychol 17:445-53.
Credit:ivythesis.typepad.com
0 comments:
Post a Comment