Health-Related Behavior and Promotion

Health-Related Behavior and Promotion

• Health behavior: Practices enhancing or maintaining well-being.
• Health habits: Well-established health behaviors.
• Seven healthy habits linked to longer lifespan: 7-8 hours sleep, no smoking, daily breakfast, ≤2 alcoholic drinks, regular exercise, no between-meal snacking, ≤10% overweight.
• Increasing health risks decrease survival chances from age 70 to 90.
• Conscientiousness (discipline, organization, responsibility): associated with better health and reduced mortality. This trait links to higher fitness, healthier eating, medication adherence, and better overall health. It's also related to lower rates of unhealthy behaviors (alcohol, drugs, risky driving/sex/tobacco).
• Stages of Change Model: Describes the five stages (Precontemplation, Contemplation, Preparation, Action, Maintenance) of behavior change.
• Health promotion goals vary by life stage. Pregnancy/infancy goals focus on a healthy pregnancy/delivery and parental education.
• Electronic health promotion interventions effectively address various health issues (e.g., reducing alcohol use, smoking cessation).
• Male-to-male sex is the most frequent mode of HIV transmission in the US.

Substance Use and Abuse

• Tobacco use: Initially medicinal, now predominantly recreational, leading to widespread use.
• College-bound individuals smoke less than those not planning to attend college.
• Drugs: Stimulants, depressants, hallucinogens, and narcotics with varying effects and addictive potential.
• Differences exist in alcohol use among 8th and 12th graders based on college plans and ethnicity.
• Stages of change model helps understand readiness to change substance use. Change is often triggered by moving from contemplating to taking action.
• Substance abuse treatment: Often begins with detoxification in hospitals or at home under supervision.
• Alcoholics Anonymous (AA): A self-help program emphasizing spiritual guidance, confession, and amends.

Nutrition, Weight Control, Exercise, and Safety

• Healthy diet: Fruits, vegetables, grains, beans/meat, milk, and oils in recommended proportions, emphasizing physical activity.
• Cognitive strategies combined with nutrition information promote dietary change more effectively than information alone.
• Childhood weight concerns and negative stereotypes are associated with overweight. Obesity can impact mental health (depression/anxiety) in teens.
• Different types of exercise (isotonic, isometric, isokinetic) have different effects.
• Exercise frequency (5+ days/week) is more important for maintaining routines than intensity.

Using Health Services

• Health care systems primarily focus on secondary and tertiary care.
• Patient-practitioner relationships: Dissatisfied patients experience more stress during procedures, less likely to follow advice, and may switch practitioners.
• Recommendations for serious health issues: Get information, prepare questions, seek multiple opinions, and connect with support groups.
• Assessing medical terminology: Essential for effective communication between patients and practitioners.
• Patient behaviors: Potential for unsettling behaviors like inappropriate remarks, criticism, or exaggerated complaints.
• Assessing medication adherence. Objective methods include pill counts and medication dispensers.
• Patient adherence influenced by cognitive and emotional factors (forgetfulness, stress).

In the Hospital: The Setting, Procedures, and Effects on Patients

• Hospital roles: Various medical specialists in a hospital setting.
• Hospitalization & Reactance: Patients may resist (reactance) due to a loss of control, affecting compliance with routines.
• Emotional adjustment: Hospitalization often causes significant stress and anxiety.
• Coping mechanisms: Problem-focused (changing the stressor) and emotion-focused (managing emotions).
• Types of control: Behavioral (actions), cognitive (thoughts), and informational (accessing info).
• Cognitive control training: Can reduce pre- and post-operative stress, emphasizing positive aspects.

The Nature and Symptoms of Pain

• Ethical research considerations: Informed consent and participant well-being.
• Gate-Control Theory of Pain: Psychological factors influence pain signals by opening or closing a "gate" in the spinal cord.
• Chronic pain and psychological distress: Patients with chronic pain, often show higher scores on particular MMPI scales (Hypochondriasis, Depression, Hysteria) linking possible psychological distress.
• Pain assessment: Pain diaries help track patterns and experiences.
• Melzack's pain dimensions: Affective (emotional-motivational), sensory, evaluative.
• McGill Pain Questionnaire (MPQ): Measures pain based on Melzack's dimensions. This instrument's strengths lie in its multidimensional nature and ability to differentiate pain experiences by word choice but the English vocabulary can be a barrier.
• Behavioral assessment: Family members or significant others can be trained to observe pain behaviors, providing context.

Managing and Controlling Clinical Pain

• Headache pain relief: Treatment can reduce muscle contraction and vascular headache pain over time.
• Cognitive therapies: Techniques for managing pain involve identifying and changing negative thoughts about pain.
• Operant conditioning: Encourages healthy behaviors and minimizes pain behaviors.
• Diabetes care in special populations: Patients, especially those with cognitive challenges, may encounter difficulties managing diabetes regimens.

Explore the critical health behaviors and habits that contribute to overall well-being and longevity. This quiz covers important concepts such as the Seven Healthy Habits, the Stages of Change Model, and the impact of conscientiousness on health. Test your knowledge on how these factors influence health promotion across different life stages.