Health – related behavior
By : - Dr. Flayeh Hussein Al- MalikiF.I.C.M.S.
Health- related behavior
Health –related behavior :- of healthy people who try to maintain their health ( primary prevention ) , to reduce susceptibility to disease .Illness behavior : - it is related to control the disease ( secondary prevention) i.e patient reaction to the experience of being sick .
Sick- role behavior: - it is related to reducing the impact and progression of symptomatic disease in the individual.( Tertiary prevention ). Or ( society ascribes to the people when they are ill . ) These concepts are derived from the sociological and socio-psychological theories .
Illness behavior
- Adopted during the 2nd half of 20th century .Any behavior undertaken by individual who feels ill to relieve that experience . Types of illness behavior : -
- Turns to medical care system for help .
-Turn to self help strategies .
- decide to dismiss the symptoms .
The factors affect illness behavior :-
1 - Age & Gender ( women are more in the use of medical care system .
2- Ethnicity , education , family structure .
3 – Social network .
Health care coverage and insurance .
4 – Socio-economic status ( lower socio- economic class individual most likely to delay seeking health care .
5 – Different perspectives of illness behavior held by individual and health care practitioner .
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David Mechanic : - is a pioneer in the study of illness behavior, best summaries the current perspective on illness behavior .
( it arise from complex causes , including biological predispositions , nature of symptoms , learned pattern of response , attribution predisposition , situational influence , and the organization and incentives characteristics of care system that affect access , responsiveness and availability of secondary benefits )
Sick – role behavior
It is a concept arising from work of important American sociologist ( Talcott parsons )- is the understanding how the sick person related to the whole social system .
- is considered as logical extension of illness behavior to complete integration into the medical care system .
- it is acceptance of symptoms and diagnosis of care system which allows the individual to take behaviors compliant with expectation of medical system .
Parson defined the sick role as having four chief characteristics outlined two rights of sick persons and two obligations : -
Rights : -
1- The sick person is exempt (freed ) from normal social role .
2 – The sick person is not responsible for his condition .
Obligations : -
1- The sick person should try to get well .
2 – The sick person should technically competent , help and cooperate with medical professional
Criticisms of sick role
1- Rejecting the sick role by the patient & not comply the expectations of sick role , may resist dependency to avoid stigmatization .2 – Doctor – patient relationship : - this assumes ideal patient and ideal doctor and this depend on social class , gender ,ethnicity .
3 – Blaming the sick :-
- Rights not always apply .
- sometimes patient is the responsible of illness ( alcoholism ) .
4 – Chronic illness : not fit for chronic illness like Ca. only concern about acute illness .
- sick role less appropriate and less functional for person and social system .
Defense mechanisms in illness
1- people use defense mechanism ( unconsciously ) to protect themselves from realities that cause conflict and anxiety .
2 – Defense mechanism can acts as barrier to the physician in obtaining information .
Two common defense mechanism used usually when they are ill : -
Denial and regression
Denial : - refuse to admit to being ill .
- protect patient from physical and emotional complication of intense fear .
- it can be destructive in the long term .
Regression :- reverts to a more child – like pattern of behavior for more attention and time from physician .
- more difficult to interact with physician and treat the patient efficiently .
- patient more dependent and less able to take decision regarding patient’s illness