Introduction
This topic covers how people think and feel about their health, and how they behave when they become ill. Health attitudes shape prevention, whether symptoms are reported, and whether treatment is followed. Illness behaviour is the way a person perceives, evaluates and acts on symptoms, which is often different from the disease the doctor diagnoses. Understanding both helps the doctor explain, persuade and adjust the treatment plan.
Health attitudes and health beliefs
A health attitude is a relatively stable disposition towards health, illness and health-related actions. The health belief model (Rosenstock, Becker) explains preventive and sick-role behaviour through a few beliefs:
- Perceived susceptibility: how likely the person thinks they are to get the condition.
- Perceived severity: how serious the consequences seem.
- Perceived benefits and barriers: the advantages of the action weighed against its cost, inconvenience or fear.
- Cues to action and self-efficacy: a trigger such as a symptom or a reminder, and confidence that the action can be carried out.
Health locus of control (Wallston) adds whether a person believes health depends on internal factors, on powerful others such as doctors, or on chance. People with a strong internal locus tend to take more preventive action, although the evidence on each dimension is mixed and is used as a guide, not a rule.