Changing Health-Risk Behaviors - Article Example

By of Learning: Critique of a Health Psychology Journal Article Changing Health-risk Behaviors Introduction Health psychology is the study of behavioral and psychological process in illness, health and healthcare. The main concern of this psychological science branch is the understanding of how behavioral, cultural and psychological factors affect physical illness and health as well as the biological causes which are understood best by medical science. Psychological factors have been observed to affect health both directly and indirectly through the behavior choices of people which end up protecting or harming health. By taking a look at journal article on health psychology and more specifically health-risk behaviors, it is possible for the readers to harness and understand psychological factors. Health psychologists have used such journals to improve individual’s health. Such scholarly journals on Health Psychology are dedicated to making the readers understand the scientific relations existing among behavior, psychological factors and physical illness and health. The readership in this case is bread considering the background, discipline, specializations and interests. These journal are based on original research like theoretical review articles which are integrative, outcome trails treatment, meta-analysis, and scientific reports. Scholarly case studies, editor letters and commentaries are also used (Armitage and Cornner, 2000, p. 181). Most of the journals have their origin in clinical psychology and the four health psychology divisions. The four divisions in question include; public health psychology, clinical health psychology, community health psychology, and critical health psychology. Human behavior has been identified as one of the main areas of concern in many health psychology journals and the subject plays a significant role in disease prevention and health maintenance. The journal looks at health risk behavior as any action by individuals with intensity and frequency increases injury and disease risks. Health risk behaviors are best looked at by clustering them together to become a risky lifestyle. It is clear that the morbidity and mortality is caused by people’s poverty, behavior pattern and polluted environment. Statistics from already conducted researches indicate that half the number of premature deaths recorded and caused by what has been indentified as the 10 main causes in developing countries can be easily prevented with factors like alcohol use, tobacco use, physical activities, risky sexual practices, dietary habits that are unhealthy, and screening programs (Armitage and Cornner, 2000, p. 178). Health risk behaviors have been observed to influence emotions, cognitive performance and overall life quality. This review is out to look at the psychological theories and principles that have been developed to underpin effective health interventions and look at already conducted researches and empirical studies which warrant the success by employing specific health risk behaviors. This will be achieved through the analysis and description of some of the psychological models, principles and theories with the intention of predicting and explaining health behavior with the help of already developed theories as well as practices that are evidence-based in health psychology. Health Behavior Changes Models, Principles and Theories Social cognition models and principles of health behavior have been described used motivation models. Motivation Models Motivational models and principles have been developed with the aim of predicting health behavior at specific points in time. The principle and models have been elaborated over time so as to come up with the variables that are used in determining health behaviors and are assessing the ability for their prediction. The efficacies of this model include; protection motivation model, health belief model, planned behavior theory, reasoned reaction theory and social cognitive theory (Ajzen, 1999, p. 179) 1. The Health Belief Model The health belief model has been developed on the assumption that the chances of an individual to be involved in a given health behavior is a result of a function of a number of beliefs: they include; The level at which the individual believes that he/she is vulnerable to a given disease, costs and behaviors that the person perceives while adopting a specific health behavior, the benefits that the person perceives before adopting the identified health behavior, and the perception of the individual of the illness severity consequences. Such cognitive factors are believed to determine the belief in an individual health threat and the health behavior effectiveness (Ajzen, 1999, p. 190). 2. Protection Motivation Theory Protection Motivation Theory was developed from scientific literature that explained the effectiveness of communication which is aroused by fear (Ajzen, 1999, p.200). The induced fear level affect the adaptive response adoption in a way that is linear. It has been observed that medium level fear results in cognitive responses which in turn result in behavioral implementation. Protection motivation is caused by both coping and threat appraisal. The health threat evaluation and coping responses appraisal lead to the intention to carry out adaptive responses or maladaptive responses which put people at health risks. 3. Theory of Reasoned Action The Reasoned Action theory has it that most of the proximal behavior course is an individual’s intention to take up the targeted action. Intentions represent an individual’s motivation which is in the form of a conscious plan to put into practice a specific effort amount and desired behavior performance. Consequently, the more an individual wishes to adopt a given behavior, the more the chances he/ she will do so. People intentions are normally influenced by their attitudes towards conducting a given behavior and social norms (Ajzen, 1999, p. 201). 4. The Planned Behavior Theory The planned behavior theory was introduced in an effort to broaden the Reasoned Action theory applicability through adding behavioral controls that are perceived to the theory as another behavior predictor (Ajzen, 1999, p.203). The main assumption of this theory is that beliefs are considered as being the most important determinants and any given behavior thus risk behaviors can be adjusted through the modification of underlying beliefs. The planning behavior theory states that social norms, attitudes, and behavior controls that have been perceived determine the intention which represents the behavior determinant proximal. 5. Social Cognitive Theory Social cognitive theory has it that behaviors are normally performed when individuals believe that they will still have full control of any outcome, perceive a number of barriers that are external towards achieving their goals and remain confident in the ability to accomplish these. Outcome expectancies and self efficacy are the main Social Cognitive Theory central concepts in relation to action and situation (Ajzen, 1999, p. 180). Research Finding and Real-world Issues Previous reviews on the same subject indicate that while refereeing to behavior prediction, the motivational models efficacy is smaller when compared to multi-stage theories and behavior enactment. This can be explained through considering the fact that clarifications on models behavioral enactment clarify the gap in intention behavior and multi-stage models quality so as to conceptualize behavior to be made up of several stages which lead to behavior maintenance and behavior. It is also important to consider that in some cases according to the researches, the intervention effectiveness does not necessary imply that behavioral change. A good example is the Milne study indicates that an intervention aimed at promoting exercise and developed on protection motivation theory led to cognitions changes but not the expected changes in the actual behavior. The addition of implementation intentions to intervention indicated that the participants who were involved in specific exercise plans had a higher chance of doing so compared to those who had no plan at all (Armitage and Cornner, 2000, p. 187). Such example are a representation of arguments which are in favor of the use of given change strategies experimental testing, in combination and separately, so as to come up with methods that have been generated through change resulting in successful intervention. The concerns in strategies on behavior changes, incentives provision and social support are well established as the effectual behavior modification methods. Rewards that are not dependent on task have stood out as being useful with reference to the performance of goals that are difficult, while rewards that depend on task are better utilized in achieving moderate goals (Armitage and Cornner, 2000, p. 181). Another practical example is that social support provided by the partner indicates that smoking sensation help or breast-self examination performance. The studies show that there are no major difference between the group interventions in comparison with one to one based delivering is significant when it comes to programs designing which target large populations. Conclusion This review offers crucial information for both readers and health professionals in the facilitation of lifestyle risks modification. Such a review can assist health professionals to optimize the risk behavior of people so as to ensure they are vast with the correct information on risk behaviors, identify personal and social barriers to practicing given behaviors, come up with a positive intention while performing a health behavior, develop a positive impact in relation to behavior as well as its outcomes and gaining enough control over behavior changes. Health psychology models, principles and theories offer important underpinning to disease prevention and health promotion programs at different intervention levels affecting, groups, individuals and communities. The integration into existing practices based on evidence on cognitive-behavioral models have crucial enhancement in the effectiveness and efficacy of the interventions, theories on behavior change validity and economical information in relation to their effectiveness in cost. Researches on the validity and development of health psychology theories make disease promotion and health promotion to be more effective and, thus, contribute to better public health. Bibliography Ajzen, I., 1999. Attitudes, Personality and Behavior, Open University Press, Keynes Ajzen, I., 1999 (b). The theory of planned behavior. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Process, 50, 179-211 Armitage, C & Cornner, M. 2000. Social cognition models and health behavior. Psychology and Heath, 15, 173-189 Read More