Population Health for Health Professionals

Part III Learning and Models of Behavior Change

Major Variables in Behavior Change l Knowledge l Skills l Beliefs l Attitudes l Values

Health Belief Model INDIVIDUAL PERCEPTIONS MODIFYING FACTORS LIKELIHOOD OF ACTION Demographic Variables Socio-psychological Variables Perceived susceptibility Perceived severity Perceived benefits of preventive action Perceived barriers to prevent action Perceived threat Likelihood of taking recommended preventive health action Cues to Action Information Reminders Persuasive communications Experience

Categories of Belief l Perceived Seriousness l Perceived Susceptibility l Perceived Benefits l Perceived Barriers

Categories of Belief Seriousness l Relative severity of the health problem. s E.g. Seriousness of hepatitis encourages individuals to get the hepatitis vaccine. Susceptibility l Nature and intensity of perceptions affect willingness to take preventive action.

Categories of Belief Benefits l Anticipated value of the recommended course of action. l Must believe recommended health action will do good if they are to comply. Barriers l Perception of negative consequences l Greatest predictive value of whether behavior will be practiced.

Stages of Change l Precontemplation l Contemplation l Preparation l Action l Maintenance

Precontemplation l Definition s Not considering changing their behavior s Lack of awareness l Intervention Approach s Novel information s Persuasive communications s Experiences

Contemplation l Definition s Person is beginning to consider behavior change s Important stage of information acquisition l Intervention Approach s Motivated by role modeling and persuasive communications s Receptive to planned or incidental learning experiences.

Preparation l Definition s Deciding to change by preparing and experimenting. s Psychological preparation of trying on or visualizing new behaviors and sharing the idea with others. Deciding to change. l Intervention Approach s How-to information, skill development, attitude change

Action l Definition s Actually trying the new behavior l Intervention Approach s Skill s Reinforcement s Support s Self-management s Attitude and attribution change

Maintenance l Definition s Establishment of the new behavior s Taking on the new attitudinal and environmental supports l Intervention Approach s Relapse prevention skills s Self-management s Social and environmental support

Discussion Time l Identify one of your health beliefs that may not be entirely healthy and place it in the model. l What might move you to change your behavior?

Summary of Module 3, Part III l Behavior change involves many factors, including cognitive and affective variables. l Health Promotion is based on several theoretical models that help explain health behavior. l Understanding an individual’s “readiness to change” is an important aspect of their potential for success in behavior change.

Module Authors Diane B. Wilson EdD, RD Associate Professor Mary S. McLellan MS,RD Research Associate Medical University of South Carolina