Population HealthPopulation Healthfor Health Professionalsfor Health Professionals

Part IIIPart III

Learning and

Models of Behavior Change

Major VariablesMajor Variablesin Behavior Changein Behavior Change

Knowledge Skills Beliefs Attitudes Values

Health Belief ModelHealth Belief Model

INDIVIDUAL PERCEPTIONS MODIFYING FACTORS LIKELIHOOD

OF ACTIONDemographic Variables

Socio-psychological Variables

Perceived susceptibility

Perceived severity

Perceived benefits of

preventive action

Perceived barriers

to prevent action

Perceived threatLikelihood of taking

recommended preventive health action

Cues to Action

Information

Reminders

Persuasive communications

Experience

Categories of BeliefCategories of Belief

Perceived Seriousness Perceived Susceptibility Perceived Benefits Perceived Barriers

Categories of BeliefCategories of Belief

Seriousness Relative severity of

the health problem. E.g. Seriousness of

hepatitis encourages individuals to get the hepatitis vaccine.

Susceptibility Nature and intensity

of perceptions affect willingness to take preventive action.

Nature and intensity of perceptions affect willingness to take preventive action.

Categories of BeliefCategories of Belief

Benefits Anticipated value of

the recommended course of action.

Must believe recommended health action will do good if they are to comply.

Barriers Perception of negative

consequences Greatest predictive

value of whether behavior will be practiced.

Stages of ChangeStages of Change

Precontemplation Contemplation Preparation Action Maintenance

PrecontemplationPrecontemplation

DefinitionNot considering changing their behaviorLack of awareness

Intervention ApproachNovel information Persuasive communications Experiences

ContemplationContemplation

DefinitionPerson is beginning to consider behavior

change Important stage of information acquisition

Intervention ApproachMotivated by role modeling and persuasive

communicationsReceptive to planned or incidental learning

experiences.

PreparationPreparation

DefinitionDeciding to change by preparing and

experimenting.Psychological preparation of trying on or

visualizing new behaviors and sharing the idea with others. Deciding to change.

Intervention ApproachHow-to information, skill development,

attitude change

ActionAction

DefinitionActually trying the new behavior

Intervention ApproachSkillReinforcementSupportSelf-managementAttitude and attribution change

MaintenanceMaintenance

DefinitionEstablishment of the new behaviorTaking on the new attitudinal and

environmental supports Intervention Approach

Relapse prevention skillsSelf-managementSocial and environmental support

Discussion TimeDiscussion Time

Identify one of your health beliefs that may not be entirely healthy and place it in the model.

What might move you to change your behavior?

Summary of Module 3, Part IIISummary of Module 3, Part III

Behavior change involves many factors, including cognitive and affective variables.

Health Promotion is based on several theoretical models that help explain health behavior.

Understanding an individual’s “readiness to change” is an important aspect of their potential for success in behavior change.

Module AuthorsModule Authors

Diane B. Wilson EdD, RD

Associate Professor

Mary S. McLellan MS,RD

Research Associate

Medical University of South Carolina