Health – related behavior By : - Dr. Flayeh Hussein Al- Maliki F.I.C.M.S.

Health- related behavior Health –related behavior :- of healthy people who try to maintain their health ( primary prevention ) , to reduce susceptibility to disease . Illness behavior : - it is related to control the disease ( secondary prevention) i.e patient reaction to the experience of being sick . Sick- role behavior: - it is related to reducing the impact and progression of symptomatic disease in the individual.( Tertiary prevention ). Or ( society ascribes to the people when they are ill . ) These concepts are derived from the sociological and socio-psychological theories .

Illness behavior - Adopted during the 2nd half of 20th century . Any behavior undertaken by individual who feels ill to relieve that experience . Types of illness behavior : - - Turns to medical care system for help . -Turn to self help strategies . - decide to dismiss the symptoms . The factors affect illness behavior :- 1 - Age & Gender ( women are more in the use of medical care system . 2- Ethnicity , education , family structure . 3 – Social network . Health care coverage and insurance . 4 – Socio-economic status ( lower socio- economic class individual most likely to delay seeking health care . 5 – Different perspectives of illness behavior held by individual and health care practitioner . 7

David Mechanic : - is a pioneer in the study of illness behavior, best summaries the current perspective on illness behavior . ( it arise from complex causes , including biological predispositions , nature of symptoms , learned pattern of response , attribution predisposition , situational influence , and the organization and incentives characteristics of care system that affect access , responsiveness and availability of secondary benefits )

Sick – role behavior It is a concept arising from work of important American sociologist ( Talcott parsons ) - is the understanding how the sick person related to the whole social system . - is considered as logical extension of illness behavior to complete integration into the medical care system . - it is acceptance of symptoms and diagnosis of care system which allows the individual to take behaviors compliant with expectation of medical system . Parson defined the sick role as having four chief characteristics outlined two rights of sick persons and two obligations : - Rights : - 1- The sick person is exempt (freed ) from normal social role . 2 – The sick person is not responsible for his condition . Obligations : - 1- The sick person should try to get well . 2 – The sick person should technically competent , help and cooperate with medical professional

Criticisms of sick role 1- Rejecting the sick role by the patient & not comply the expectations of sick role , may resist dependency to avoid stigmatization . 2 – Doctor – patient relationship : - this assumes ideal patient and ideal doctor and this depend on social class , gender ,ethnicity . 3 – Blaming the sick :- - Rights not always apply . - sometimes patient is the responsible of illness ( alcoholism ) . 4 – Chronic illness : not fit for chronic illness like Ca. only concern about acute illness . - sick role less appropriate and less functional for person and social system .

Defense mechanisms in illness 1- people use defense mechanism ( unconsciously ) to protect themselves from realities that cause conflict and anxiety . 2 – Defense mechanism can acts as barrier to the physician in obtaining information . Two common defense mechanism used usually when they are ill : - Denial and regression Denial : - refuse to admit to being ill . - protect patient from physical and emotional complication of intense fear . - it can be destructive in the long term . Regression :- reverts to a more child – like pattern of behavior for more attention and time from physician . - more difficult to interact with physician and treat the patient efficiently . - patient more dependent and less able to take decision regarding patient’s illness