Health and life

Much research has used quantitative methods to explore and predict health behaviours. For example, Kristiansen (1985) carried out a correlational study looking at the seven health behaviours defined by Belloc and Breslow (1972) and their relationship to a set of beliefs. She reported that these seven health behaviours were correlated with (1) a high value on health; (2) a belief in world peace; and (3) a low value on an exciting life. Obviously there are problems with defining these different beliefs, but the study suggested that it is perhaps possible to predict health behaviours.
Leventhal et al. (1985) described factors that they believed predicted health behaviours:
■ social factors, such as learning, reinforcement, modelling and social norms
■ genetics, suggesting that perhaps there was some evidence for a genetic basis for alcohol use
■ emotional factors, such as anxiety, stress, tension and fear
■ perceived symptoms, such as pain, breathlessness and fatigue
■ the beliefs of the patient
■ the beliefs of the health professionals.
Leventhal et al. suggested that a combination of these factors could be used to predict and promote health-related behaviour.
In fact, most of the research that has aimed to predict health behaviours has emphasized beliefs. Approaches to health beliefs include attribution theory, the health locus of control, unrealistic optimism, self-affirmation theory and the stages-of-change model.