Introduction
Health promotion is a critical aspect of psychology, particularly within the International Baccalaureate (IB) syllabus. It involves strategies and methods aimed at helping individuals exert control over their health behaviors to improve their overall health. This document will examine various models and theories of health promotion, provide detailed explanations of key studies, and evaluate the effectiveness of health promotion programs.
Models and Theories of Health Promotion
The Health Belief Model (HBM)
The Health Belief Model (HBM) is one of the earliest and most influential models in health psychology. It suggests that individuals are likely to engage in health-promoting behaviors if they:
- Perceive a threat to their health: This includes perceived susceptibility (belief about the chances of getting a condition) and perceived severity (belief about the seriousness of the condition and its consequences).
- Believe in the benefits of the behavior: Perceived benefits refer to an individual's assessment of the positive outcomes of a health-promoting behavior.
- Perceive fewer barriers to the behavior: Perceived barriers involve the potential negative aspects of a health action, such as inconvenience, cost, or side effects.
- Have self-efficacy: This is the confidence in one's ability to successfully perform the health-promoting behavior.
For instance, an individual might decide to quit smoking if they believe that smoking significantly increases their risk of lung cancer (perceived threat), believe that quitting will improve their health (perceived benefits), feel that they can manage the withdrawal symptoms (perceived barriers), and have confidence in their ability to quit (self-efficacy).
Social Cognitive Theory (SCT)
Social Cognitive Theory (SCT) emphasizes the role of observational learning, social experiences, and reciprocal determinism in behavior change. Key components include:
- Observational Learning: Learning behaviors by watching others.
- Reciprocal Determinism: The dynamic interaction between personal factors, behavior, and the environment.
- Self-Efficacy: Belief in one's capabilities to execute behaviors necessary to produce specific performance attainments.
A health campaign might use role models who have successfully quit smoking to demonstrate the process and benefits, thereby influencing observers to believe they can also quit (self-efficacy).
Fear Arousal
Fear arousal involves using vivid and often frightening imagery to raise awareness of risky health behaviors. It aims to motivate behavior change by instilling fear about the consequences of unhealthy behaviors.
- Balance of Fear: Effective fear arousal must strike a balance. Too much fear can lead to defensive reactions, while too little fear can be ignored.
- Self-Efficacy: Individuals are more likely to change their behavior in response to fear arousal if they believe they are capable of making the change.
Graphic images of diseased lungs on cigarette packets are used to deter smoking by creating fear about the health consequences of smoking.
TipWhen answering exam questions, be sure to distinguish between health promotion methods (e.g., fear arousal) and health promotion programs that incorporate these methods.
Key Studies of Health Promotion
Quist-Paulsen et al. (2003)
Aim: To evaluate the effectiveness of an anti-smoking program based on fear arousal and relapse prevention for patients with heart disease.
