1. H EALTH B EHAVIOR AND L IFE S TYLE Dr Hidayathulla Shaikh, Lecturer, College of Dentistry, Majmaah University.

2. O BJECTIVES To know what is health behavior To know what is illness behavior To know what is labeling behavior To understand the factors influencing preventive behavior.

3. H EALTH B EHAVIOR Any behavior undertaken by an individual, regardless of actual or perceived health status, for the purpose of promoting, protecting or maintaining health, whether or not such behavior is objectively effective towards the end.

4. WHO Health Promotion Glossary, It is a broad concept implying actions, undertaken by people which have positive or negative consequences to health.

5. Example for positive behavior – effective tooth cleaning practices.

6. Example for negative behavior or risk behavior – cigarette smoking, alcohol consumption.

7. I LLNESS B EHAVIOR It is the interpretations of symptoms or signs of illness, especially pain and the search for relief. It is a social pressure drawing on past experience and involving interactions with others in defining a solution to an oral health problem. And this process is called illness behavior.

8. It is the activity undertaken by individuals who perceive themselves as having a health problem for the purpose of defining their health and discovering and undertaking an appropriate remedy.

9. L ABELING B EHAVIOR In the case of conditions that are visible and that affect the social identity or acceptability of a person, more complex process of decision making are involved. In such instances, both the pressures from others and the will to accede to such pressure are much greater. This process of influence and response is called labeling behavior.

10. F ACTORS INFLUENCING PREVENTIVE BEHAVIOR Before the dentist establishes the diagnosis and apply his skills to control the behavior, he or she must be familiar with the factors that influence behavior – 1) Growth and development 2) Family and peer influence 3) Past medical and dental experiences 4) Dental office environment.

11. 1) G ROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT A Childs development involves physical, intellectual and emotional growth which keeps on constantly changing. An intellectual age of 3 years signifies the maturational readiness to accept dental treatment

12. 2) F AMILY AND PEER INFLUENCES Psychological factors are probably the strongest influences on human behavior.

13. The parents attitudes moulds, shapes and directs the behavior in the early stages of child's development. Where as in the later stages it is affected by the factors such as attitudes of the peers, socioeconomic status and education.

14. 3) P AST MEDICAL AND DENTAL EXPERIENCES Past bad medical and dental experiences will adversely shape and influence the behavior.

15. 4) D ENTAL OFFICE ENVIRONMENT A dental office which reflects drabness or lack of warmth will not completely influence or change the attitude of the patient. Technical skill and the dentists behavior will also affects the individual behavior.

16. Szasz and Hollender describes three types of relationships between Health care providers and the patients. They are a) Activity – Passivity b) Guidance co operation c) Mutual participation.

17. A ) A CTIVITY - P ASSIVITY The professional is in complete active control and the patients is a passive recipient of treatment. This usually occurs when the patients is under general anesthesia.

18. B ) G UIDANCE CO OPERATION Here the professional guides the patient like a teacher and the patient co operates like a student. This describes the situation where the dentist is treating a conscious patient.

19. C ) M UTUAL PARTICIPATION This is most clearly shown in preventive care where the dentist and patient share responsibility for maintaining oral health. Eg – health education given by dentist and follow up of instructions by the patient.