UNIT 2

HEALTH BEHAVIOUR

AND PRIMARY

PREVENTION
Health behaviour

Behaviours
undertaken by
people to enhance
or maintain their
health.
Health habits

Health habit is a health

related behaviour that is
firmly established and
often performed
automatically, without
awareness.
Health behaviours Health habits

Poor Health
Poor Health
behaviours
habits
 important Health habits

Sleep (7-8 hrs)

Regular breakfast
Regular exercise
Hydrated body
Healthy eating
Not smoking
Less screen time
Mindfulness
 primary prevention

Instilling Changing
good health habits poor health habits

Combating risk factors Altering the problematic

even before illness health behaviours
factors influencing health behaviours

Age
Values
Personal Control
Social influence
Percieved symptoms
Access to healthcare
Cognitive factors
 causes for

poor health behaviours

Instability of health behaviours

1. Different health habits are controlled by

different factors
2. Same health habit can be controlled by
different factors for differnt people
3. Factors controling a health behaviour may
change over the course
 health habit intervention

Children and People at risk Elderly

Adolescents
 Health habits practised as teeneagers determine
the chronic disase they develop in adulthood
Window of vulnerability
children and adolescents

Teachable moment
Early socialisation
At-risk people

Benefits

Early identification: Knowledge of the risk

Identify other factors that may increase the risk

Problems

Do not perceive their risk correctly

Not much of successful interventions
Can complicate family dynamics
elderly

Essential for controlling healthcare spending

Maintaing healthy balanced diet

Regular excercise regimen
Taking steps to reduce accidents
Controlling alcohol consumption
Eliminating smoking
Appropriate use of prescribed drugs
Vaccinations