Currently the Health promotion Mental and physical well-being and prevention culture is becoming the target of many people and countries. Such a goal seems difficult to achieve, but if appropriate strategies are put into practice, it is no more than a modification in daily routines.
Society is undergoing a process of transformation in several aspects; The population pyramid is being reversed; The number of diagnosis of chronic and terminal diseases is growing; The routine of life of people is more focused on work; Living conditions promote a sedentary lifestyle; Thinness as a canon of beauty...
It seems that all this is impossible to manage and modify, however your task is to inform and commit to change.
For all these reasons, I have found it useful to write this article to get ideas and apply them in your life, I assure you that the results in the short or long term will be visible.
The culture of prevention, harmful behaviors and health behaviors
Fielding in 1978 proposes a classification that is currently accepted within the field of health sciences. This author proposes three types of prevention:
- Primary prevention : Referring to those measures taken to prevent the occurrence of the disease in healthy people. Here we can refer to the modification of insane habits such as tobacco , alcohol and the diet. Or the prevention of such insane habits, such as prevention of teenage smoking, prevention of drug use, prevention of alcoholism or prevention of pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases .
- Secondary prevention : Referred to the efforts needed to halt the progress of the disease once initiated.
- Tertiary prevention : Includes the procedures of treatment and rehabilitation of those diseases that have already demonstrated clinical symptomatology.
From this division come to coalition two fundamental concepts.
On the one hand Health promotion Whose objective is the acquisition and maintenance of healthy behaviors, as well as the improvement of the quality of life.
On the other hand, Prevention of disease Which encompasses interventions aimed at reducing or eliminating those behaviors that are classified as risky.
If we investigate the main causes of death in industrialized society and associated risk factors we observe the main behavioral agents involved:
Speaking of more specific data, it is estimated that tobacco and alcohol together cause nearly 30% of deaths. Cigarette smoking contributes to the development of a wide range of diseases, including heart attack, Chronic bronchitis , in addition to Lung cancer , Larynx, pancreas, and bladder. Alcohol for its part is involved in liver cancer and in 50% of deaths due to traffic accident.
However, all these complications can be reduced by healthy behaviors. Belloc and Breslow propose in 1972 the following habits of life related to a better state of health.
As you can see, the health habits that these authors raise are very affordable, and anyone could make an effort to carry it out.
Obstacles to health promotion
However, despite all the information Habits To remain healthy, there are many obstacles that prevent and limit the generalization of these to the population.
To begin with, we must mention the attitudes and patterns of our Western culture Where health is considered as one of our most precious values, at the same time as others are like; To live without pressure and comfort; Experience strong sensations; To succeed in life
Therefore, they are values Which contradict each other,"How can I lead a healthy life if society pushes to sedentariness and to be the best at work?"
Another aspect involved is the equation between living a good life and unhealthy habits. That is, on the one hand they tell you that you have to eat a healthy diet but at the same time the most appetizing products that you find in supermarkets are those high in cholesterol.
For example, you may have had the opportunity to go for a run With a friend or go to the gym or Dance classes , But has preferred to stay on the sofa watching his favorite series...
Finally, due to scientific and technological advances, especially in the world of medicine, we have at our disposal multiple surgical techniques that relieve us and relieve us of the need to undertake preventive measures...
As for the nature of healthy habits we also encounter numerous difficulties. Namely, while healthy living habits mean long-term gratification, and attainment of consequences not visible at the time, harmful living habits are an immediate gratification, with visible results at the time.
In addition, at the psychological level, it is influenced by being aware that the monitoring of healthy habits of life does not mean not to become ill, but simply reduces the possibility of becoming ill in terms of relative probability.
On the other hand, in many risk behaviors there are no signs of anticipation of the problems that may mean not carrying out healthy habits. Or, if they exist, they can learn to neglect them.
This is what we observe, for example, with many smokers who do not pay attention to the warning messages that appear in the packs of tobacco and that diminish importance to their habit making reference to acquaintances who have suffered cancer of lung or throat and were not smokers , Or people who have smoked and died at a very late age without any illness.
It should also be taken into account that prevention is complicated because it is more complex than the diagnosis and treatment of diseases, since over the years, even professionals dedicated to it, modify the recommendations of healthy habits each Little time.
Health behavior
Health behavior is people's efforts to reduce their harmful behaviors and practice healthy behaviors. The role of psychologists in promoting such health behaviors and prevention is critical.
There are several variables that seem to determine health behavior, namely the social context, the perception of the symptom, the emotional states, the beliefs about health... All of them must be taken into account by the psychologist in the face of Prevention and health promotion.
Social context
As for the Social context One must take into account the influence of people on others, depending on the environment in which the person moves, the social support network, the places that frequent... there are more or less possibilities for the person to practice healthy habits.
I see interesting to mention in this point a study by Gil and Ballester in 2002, where it is observed that the two best predictors of alcohol consumption and abuse in young people are that parents initiate children at parties or celebrations and the motto imposed in Our society that alcohol facilitates fun.
Perception of the symptom
With respect to Symptom perception , It is true that the symptom is a clear, evident and visible signal that influences the person. For example if a person sees that the last few times he has had to run to catch the bus has suffocated more than the bill, or if he has noticed that lately he coughs without stopping, or that when he drinks three beers his head starts to ache, May lead you to decide to start reducing tobacco or beers... However, these symptoms are not permanent, but rather transient, so it is likely that after a time they will perform these behaviors again.
Impact of emotional states
Of course we can not forget the high Repercussion of emotional states In people such as the stress , Anxiety, depression, boredom, Impulsiveness … For example; A smoker usually smokes more in situations where he is nervous or when he is bored to"kill time".
Friend in the year 2000 conducted a study where he found that adolescents with higher levels of stress have a lower probability of being involved in health behaviors in general. He also saw that adults who feel stressed are more likely to eat more and worse, to exercise less or smoke more if they are smokers.
Beliefs about health
With regard to Beliefs about health Say that people who develop a disease develop a series of thoughts, beliefs and assessments in relation to the changes that occur and that influence the health behaviors that adopt. For example, there are many hypertensive people who according to what they have eaten or according to the redness of the skin are medically more or less.
In addition, in a 1988 study by Weinstein, people were asked about their likelihood of having a disease in the future, most felt that such risks were minimal. So the likelihood of developing healthy behavior was minimal.
How is healthy behavior explained in people?
Two theoretical models have been developed to address the explanation of healthy behavior in people.
On the one hand we find the Model of belief about health , Proposed by Becker and Maiman and by the Theory of learning . The first is based on changes in people's attitudes and beliefs and the second on healthy habits, such as behaviors to acquire, maintain and modify.
It is true that such models are useful for describing volitional health behaviors, such as starting a diet. However they are of little utility to predict the health behavior, that is to say the smoker who ignites a cigar carries out an automatic conduct that is triggered without the need of any conscious volitional process.
Model of beliefs about health
As for the Model of beliefs about health , It is thought that a person is willing to adopt a health behavior depending on how susceptible he is to suffer from that disease, and how severe the consequences of that disease are.
The decision to carry out healthy behaviors will depend on the evaluation of these potential health behaviors, as well as the cost-benefit of these and certain keys that can trigger this execution.
For example, a person who smokes will be more willing to quit if they feel they are at high risk of cancer, fear their consequences, if the behaviors will be a benefit greater than the initial cost of smoking and if you also know Another smoker who has just been diagnosed with cancer.
This model also speaks of the influence of factors such as sociodemographic variables such as sex, age, race... as well as psychosocial variables such as personality, social class, group pressure...
To promote change of actitud Of people can be intervened from various fields:
- Through information campaigns: It is necessary that through these the attention is captured, that the person understands the message, accepts it, retains it and acts. For this the communicator must be an expert, attractive to the public and safe; It must make explicit the conclusions derived from the information presented; The messages should be clear, concise and not complex and the argument will depend on the audience.
- Appeals to Fear: The message should clarify the extent to which negative health practices have undesirable consequences, convince that the consequences are real, and finally how these negative consequences can be avoided.
- Change of attitude and behavior: It seems that attitudes are more influential in behaviors when they are acquired through direct experience, when they are easily accessible and relevant, and when they are of interest to the person.
Theory of learning
Refering to Theory of learning , It is proposed that sometimes the change of attitude is not enough and that it becomes necessary to use the principles of learning to modify the health habits of people.
It is important to take into account for the intervention the distinction between initiating a change in behavior and maintaining that change. As well as the problem of relapse, as one of the most important problems within the field of health promotion.
Statistics show that more than 75% of people who have successfully quit smoking, alcohol, or heroin following a treatment program usually fall into those habits after one year.
Marlatt in 1985, aware of this problem poses two objectives: that the person consider the possibility of choosing between the possible behaviors and the development of coping skills to solve situations satisfactorily.
CONCLUSIONS
Throughout this article I have tried to show you what it takes to healthy life style , As you see is not an easy task because the society presses in the opposite direction, nevertheless the existing benefits if they are carried out, are important.
It's all about forming a healthy routine and trying to keep it. Although the benefits are long term, you can motivate with the idea of performing this routine every day and take it as an obligation, such as the obligation to know that you have to go to work, or that you have to eat every day.
Bibliography
- Ajzen, I. & Fishbein, R. (1980). Understanding attitudes and predicting social behavior. Englewood Cliffs, NJ, USA Prentice Hall.
- Amigo Vázquez, I., Fernández Rodríguez, C. and Pérez Álvarez, M. (2009). Psychological manual of health (3rd edition). Editions pyramid. Cover theme, no. 35.
- Brannon, L. & Feist, J. (2001). Health Psychology. Madrid, Spain: Paraninfo.
- Costa, M. & López, E. (1996). Education for health. A strategy to change lifestyles. Madrid, Spain: Pyramid.