COURSE CODE: COMM 837

COURSE TITLE: BEHAVIOURAL SCIENCE

GROUP 4
IHEMEJE MARTINS EBERECHUKWU P22DLPH80849
IRENONSE AFEILORIA P22DLPH80977
ORJI CHINAZO P22DLPH80750
ISMAIL FATIMA P22DLPH80945
HARUNA THOMAS P22DLPH81050
OMOTUNDE OLUBUNMI P22DLPH80947
SALIHU ISAAC P22DLPH80462
ABDULMAJEED UMMULKHAIRI P22DLPH81063
OBANI HAMEED P22DLPH80722
ALIYU UMAR P22DLPH81199

TUTOR: AKEEM AYUB OLALEKAN.

DLC ABU, ZARIA.
"What is Health Behaviour and Changing
Patterns of Health and Illness."
 What is Health and
Illness Behaviour.
• HEALTH: is defined as a state of complete
physical, mental and social well-being and
not merely the absence of disease or/and
infirmity.
• ILLNESS: is when the body or mind doesn't
function normally due to various factors like
pathogens, genetics, environment, or
lifestyle, ranging from mild to severe.
What is Health and Illness Behaviour Cont’d

BEHAVIOUR: Behavior encompasses individuals' actions, reactions, and conduct in

response to their environment, influencing how they interact and navigate their
surroundings. It includes conscious and unconscious activities, thoughts, and emotions,
shaped by genetics, upbringing, culture, environment, and personal experiences.

ILLNESS BEHAVIOUR: Any activity undertaken by a person, who feels ill to define the
state of his or her health and to discover a suitable remedy (for example, going to see a
physician).
 What is Health and Illness
Behaviour Cont’d
• HEALTH BEHAVIOUR: is any action an individual
takes to promote, protect, or maintain health,
regardless of its effectiveness or the person's health
status or these are healthy behaviors aimed at disease
prevention, such as quitting smoking, losing weight,
exercising, and eating well.
Health behaviour greatly affects an individual's overall
health and quality of life. It includes health promotion,
preventive actions, health-compromising behaviors,
health seeking behaviour, and health maintenance
behaviour.
DETERMINANTS
OF HEALTH
BEHAVIOR
•Individual Factors: Knowledge,
Attitudes, Beliefs

•Social Factors: Peer influence,

social Support

•Environmental Factors: Access to

Healthcare, Socioeconomic Status

•Cultural Factors: Cultural beliefs,

Traditions
Health Promotion
Health promotion is a general philosophy that has at its core the idea
that good health, or wellness, is a personal and collective
achievement.
• For an individual, it involves developing a programme of good
health habits early in life and carrying them through adulthood
and old age example regular physical activity, eating healthy
• For a Doctor, health promotion involves teaching people how
best to achieve this healthy lifestyle and helping people at risk
for particular health problems.
• For the community and the nation, health promotion involves a
general emphasis on good health, the availability of information
to help people develop and maintain healthy life styles, and the
availability of resources and facilities that can help people
change poor health habits.
• The mass media can contribute to health promotion by educating
people about health risks posed by certain behaviours such as
smoking, excessive alcohol consumption, unprotected sexual
habits and sharing of sharp objects.
Dimension Of Health Behavior
The following 6 primary dimensions of health behaviours used by many researchers:
• Physical Functioning: focuses on physical limitations regarding ability to take care
of self, being mobile and participating in physical activities, ability to perform
everyday activity; and number of days confined in bed.
•Mental Health: focuses on feelings of anxiety and depression, psychological well-
being and control of emotions and behaviour.
•Social Well being: focuses on visiting with or speaking on the telephone with
friends and family and the number of close friends and acquaintances.
•Role Functioning: focuses on freedom and limitations in discharging usual role
activities such as work or school
•General Health Perception: focuses on self-assessment of current health status and
amount of pain being experienced.
•Symptoms: focuses on reports of physical and psychophysiological symptoms. This
is a broad concept that deals with illness, health and sick role behaviour.
 Epidemiological Globalization and
Transitions Urbanization

Disease Transmission via:

Changing
Shift in disease burden
international travels and trade

Patterns of Impact on Healthcare Urbanization characterised by

population density, mobility

Health and
Systems

Illness: Challenges in Prevention

Influence on lifestyle behavior,
dietary patterns/habits, access to
healthcare

Strain on healthcare
infrastruture due to population,
inadequate sanitation,
insufficient public health
interventions
 Aging Population
and Demographic Lifestyle Changes
Shifts

Changing Increased Chronic

disease burden, and
emerging health
Diet

Patterns
threats

of Health
Challenges in
Healthcare delivery
eg. health Physical Activity
inequalities

and Promotion of

Illness:
Smoking
healthy aging

Policy implications Alcohol Abuse

Changing Patterns of Health and Illness:
Environmental Factors

Pollution; Air, industrial

emissions, vehicle exhaust

Climate Change and extreme

weather conditions eg. floods,
draught, heatwave

Inadequate water and Poor

Sanitation; Access to safe
drinking water

Occupational Hazards; Exposure

to chemicals, biological agents,
physical hazards
 • Increased Burden of Chronic Diseases: The transition from
infectious diseases to chronic non-communicable diseases
(NCDs) can lead to a higher prevalence of conditions such
as cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, cancer, and respiratory
diseases. These chronic conditions often require long-term
NEGATIVE management, placing strain on healthcare systems and
individuals' quality of life.
EFFECTS OF
CHANGING
PATTERNS IN
HEALTH AND • Health Inequities: Changing patterns in health and illness may
ILLNESS exacerbate existing health inequities, particularly among
vulnerable populations such as low-income individuals, ethnic
minorities, and rural communities. Disparities in access to
healthcare, and socioeconomic status, can contribute to unequal
health outcomes and limited opportunities for health promotion
and disease prevention.
  Risk of Emergent Diseases:
NEGATIVE Globalization and urbanization can
EFFECTS OF facilitate the spread of infectious
CHANGING diseases, including emerging pathogens
such as novel viruses or drug-resistant
PATTERNS IN bacteria. Rapid urbanization, population
HEALTH AND mobility, and environmental changes
ILLNESS create favorable conditions for disease
transmission, leading to outbreaks and
pandemics that pose significant public
health challenges.

 Environmental Degradation: Such as pollution, climate change, and habitat destruction

can adversely affect health and contribute to the emergence of new health threats. Air and
water pollution, deforestation, and exposure to hazardous chemicals can lead to
respiratory disorders, waterborne diseases, and other adverse health outcomes, particularly
in communities with limited access to clean air and water.
  Disruption of Traditional Lifestyles:
Sociocultural changes associated with
globalization and urbanization can disrupt
NEGATIVE traditional lifestyles and dietary patterns,
leading to an increased prevalence of
EFFECTS OF unhealthy behaviors such as sedentary
lifestyles, poor nutrition, e.t.c.
CHANGING
PATTERNS  Strain on Healthcare Systems: Shifting
IN HEALTH patterns in health and illness place additional
demands on healthcare systems, requiring
AND resources for disease prevention, diagnosis,
treatment, and long-term management.
ILLNESS Healthcare providers may face challenges in
managing the complex healthcare needs of
populations affected by chronic diseases,
infectious diseases, and other health
conditions.
Health Behavior
Change...

“How do we address health

behavior change???”
 ADDRESSING HEALTH BEHAVIOR CHANGE
01
Utilize evidence based
health education materials
and campaigns to increase
awareness and knowledge
about healthy behaviors,
risk factors, and preventive
measures.
Health Education and Promotion:
02
Tailor educational
messages to the target
population’s literacy
level, and cultural beliefs.
03
Provide accessible and
culturally sensitive health
education through
community workshops,
school programs, mass
media and platforms.
04
Empower individuals
with the skills and
resources to make
informed decisions
about their health.
ADDRESSING HEALTH BEHAVIOR
CHANGE

Behavioral interventions:
• Design interventions that address the
underlying determinants of health
behavior, including attitudes, beliefs,
and social support.

• Offer incentives, rewards, or social

reinforcement to encourage
adherence to health promoting
behaviours and sustain behavior
change over time.
 ADDRESSING HEALTH BEHAVIOR CHANGE
Policy and Environmental Changes:

1 2 3
Advocate for policy changes and Collaborate with policy makers, Advocate for the integration of health
environmental modifications that create community leaders, and stakeholders to considerations into urban planning,
supportive contexts for health behavior develop and implement based policies transportation, housing, and land use
change, such as implementing smoke free and interventions that address social policies to create environments that
policies, improving access to healthy determinants of health. facilitate physical activity, healthy eating,
foods e.t.c. and social connectedness.
 ADDRESSING HEALTH BEHAVIOR CHANGE

Community Based Programs and Support Groups:

Establish community Engage community Foster social Offer a range of

based programs and members as active networks and services and activities,
support groups that participants in program partnerships within skill building
planning, workshops, peer
provide implementation, and communities to
opportunities for promote positive mentoring, and
evaluation to ensure recreational
social support, peer cultural relevance and health behaviors and
learning, and create a sense of opportunities, to
community ownership.
address diverse needs
collective action. belonging and and preferences.
solidarity.
CONCLUSION
Promoting healthy lifestyles, preventing disease, and
enhancing overall well-being require addressing health
behavior change. Through a comprehensive approach
integrating health education, behavioral interventions, policy
changes, and community programs, we can empower
individuals to make positive health choices. These evidence-
based strategies, grounded in behavioral theories and
community engagement, foster lasting behavior change and
improve health outcomes. Collaboration, innovation, and
equity are essential as we navigate the complexities of health
behavior, ensuring we meet the diverse needs of individuals
and communities.
 REFERENCES:
•Weiss, L. G. and Lonnquist, L. E. (2005). The
Sociology of Health, Healing and Illness, (5th
edition). Safari book online. Retrieved from
http//www.safari.com/0131928406/ch07iev1se
c3. Site visited on 17th March 2007.
•Maddux, J. E., Rogers, R. W., Sledden, E. A.
and Wright, L. (1986). Developmental issues in
child health psychology. American
Psychologist, 41, 25-34.
•Kasl, S. V. and Cobb, S. (1966). Health
behaviour, illness behaviour and sick role
behaviour. Archives of Environmental Health,
12, 246-266
THANK YOU