摘要:

Virtually all major theories of health‐related behaviours are based on the assumption that people estimate their perceived susceptibility to a disease and evaluate the costs and benefits of precautionary behaviour before taking action. Generally, perceived risk or susceptibility is seen as an important determinant of preventive action. First I briefly summarize the literature on the accuracy of perceived risk or susceptibility. Next I turn to the relation between perceived risk and precautionary behaviour. This article reviews the evidence concerning the assumption that perceived risk or vulnerability is an important determinant of precautionary behaviour and points at some shortcomings of the existing literature. Comparative optimism or unrealistic optimism (i.e. the belief that risks apply more to others than to oneself) is also assumed to be related to preventive behaviour. This field of research is briefly reviewed and it is concluded that there is hardly any evidence for the presumed detrimental effect of optimism on preventive behaviour. This is followed by some methodological considerations about how to measure perceived risk and investigate its role as a behavioural determinant. It is recommended to reduce the diversity in which perceived risk is measured and to focus on conditional risk as opposed to unconditional risk. It will be argued that perceived vulnerability is a necessary but not a sufficient condition for preventive action. Other more proximal antecedents of preventive behaviour will be briefly discussed, followed by a brief discussion of the implications for health education practic

ISSN:1359-107X    

DOI:10.1111/j.2044-8287.1998.tb00551.x

出版商:Blackwell Publishing Ltd    

年代:1998

数据来源: WILEY

摘要:

Objectives. To examine the relationship between diabetes‐specific health locus of control patterns and metabolic control (HbA1C). The validity and reliability of the Diabetes Locus of Control Scale (DLOC) used were also examined.Methods. Study participants were 312 consecutive adult Swedish out‐patients with insulin‐dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM). The participants completed the DLOC at their regular clinic visit and data on metabolic control (HbA1C) and background factors were gathered.Results. The Diabetes Locus of Control Scale was found to have adequate psychometric properties. Participants with strong beliefs that their own behaviour is responsible for the course of the disease and weak beliefs in chance and luck were metabolically better regulated than participants who exhibited other health locus of control patterns.Conclusions. The diabetes locus of control patterns examined appear to have explanatory power in accounting for metabolic control. The data suggest that, in planning treatment of IDDM patients, clinicians could make use of knowledge concerning the patients' health locus of control pat

ISSN:1359-107X    

DOI:10.1111/j.2044-8287.1998.tb00552.x

出版商:Blackwell Publishing Ltd    

年代:1998

数据来源: WILEY

摘要:

Objectives. Two studies examined the cognitive regulation of restrained eaters' eating behaviour. It was hypothesized that restrained dieters should have more restraint‐related cognitions in the presence of food stimuli than unrestrained eaters, whereas restrained non‐dieters should occupy an intermediate position. The correlation between cognition and consumption should be zero for unrestrained eaters and negative for restrained eaters.Design. Participants currently dieting or not dieting and of high or low restraint status (median split) were presented in Study 1 with high and low calorie food words and asked to list their thoughts. In Study 2, participants listed thoughts following a taste test. In both studies diet and restraint status were related to restraint relevant thoughts. In Study 2 thoughts were also related to actual consumption.Methods. Participants were female students; restraint status was measured with the Restraint Scale; current diet status was assessed with one question. Fifty‐two unrestrained eaters, 38 restrained non‐dieters and 18 restrained dieters participated in Study 1; 33 unrestrained eaters, 19 restrained non‐dieters and 11 restrained dieters participated in Study 2.Results. Food stimuli elicited more eating control, weight‐ and shape‐related thoughts in restrained dieters than in unrestrained eaters, with the restrained non‐dieters occupying an intermediate position. Consistent with predictions, the cognition‐consumption correlation was zero for unrestrained eaters and negative (trend) for restrained dieters. Contrary to prediction, this correlation was positive for restrained non‐dieters.Conclusions. Results show that cognitions play an important role in the regulation of the eating behaviour of restrained individuals. They further suggest that the cognitive regulation of food intake in restrained eaters may be based on different mechanisms in dieters as comp

ISSN:1359-107X    

DOI:10.1111/j.2044-8287.1998.tb00553.x

出版商:Blackwell Publishing Ltd    

年代:1998

数据来源: WILEY

摘要:

The Rationality/Emotional Defensiveness (R/ED) and Need for Harmony (N/H) scales developed by Spielberger were administered to 311 women with breast cancer and 103 healthy women. Women with breast cancer were assessed after diagnosis (74), during treatment (105) and during follow‐up, approximately 12 months after treatment (132). Women with breast cancer had substantially higher scores than healthy women in rationality and emotional defensiveness (or anti‐emotionality), and need for harmony. All comparisons were less thanp<.0000. Rationality/emotional defensiveness and need for harmony scores classified correctly 86 per cent of the participants (87 per cent of the breast cancer patients and 82 per cent of the healthy participants). Although older participants in both groups had higher scores on R/EM and N/H, women with breast cancer had higher scores than healthy women if age was controlled for. Results support previous studies, and are in accordance with other findings showing that breast cancer patients tend to suppress, inhibit, repress or deny their emotions, as well as are ready to sacrifice their needs in order to achieve and maintain harmonious interpersonal relationsh

ISSN:1359-107X    

DOI:10.1111/j.2044-8287.1998.tb00554.x

出版商:Blackwell Publishing Ltd    

年代:1998

数据来源: WILEY

摘要:

Objectives. To assess the impact of daily life‐stress on behaviours (alcohol consumption, food choice and physical exercise) that influence health risk.Method. Twenty‐three nurses and 21 teachers completed daily assessments of mood, alcohol and food intake, together with weekly measures of hassles, perceived stress, anxiety, depression and exercise behaviour, over an eight‐week period. Comparisons were made between the two highest and two lowest perceived stress weeks.Results. Work and home‐related hassles were more frequent on high than low stress weeks, and anxiety and depression levels were greater, even after controlling for negative affectivity. Participants who drank alcohol to cope showed increases in consumption between low and high stress weeks. ‘Fast food’ was eaten more frequently during high stress weeks. People who reported that mood control was an important influence on their choice of food showed increases in the amount of cheese they ate, and greater consumption of sweet foods. There were no differences in exercise frequency or duration with changes in perceived stress.Conclusions. Diary studies allow changes in health behaviour with life‐stress to be assessed naturalistically. The impact of stress depends on the moderating effects of motives and coping expectancies associated with specific behavioural domains. Some responses may be prejudicial to long‐t

ISSN:1359-107X    

DOI:10.1111/j.2044-8287.1998.tb00555.x

出版商:Blackwell Publishing Ltd    

年代:1998

数据来源: WILEY

摘要:

Objectives. Chronic low back pain is a major health problem and one where pain, physical impairment and biological pathology are only very loosely correlated). It is considered that the experience of pain, its distress and disability is mediated by its meaning to the sufferer. The intention of this study was to explore the sufferers' personal experience of their pain.Design. Qualitative research is often recommended to complement the quantitative work on chronic pain that has been published to date. Interpretative phenomenological analysis was employed in an in‐depth study of a small sample of chronic pain patients.Method. Semi‐structured interviews were carried out with nine women pain patients. The verbatim transcripts of those interviews served as the data for an interpretative phenomenological analysis.Results. Four themes emerged which are described under the broad headings: searching for an explanation; comparing this self with other selves; not being believed; and withdrawing from others.Conclusions. The participants shared an inability to explain the persistent presence of their pain or to reconstruct any contemporary self‐regard. While they used social comparisons to try and help them make sense of their situation, these comparisons proved equivocal in their outcome. Participants were unable to establish the legitimacy of the chronic nature of their pain and in certain situations felt obliged to appear ill to conform to the expectations of others. By default, participants treated their own pain as a stigma and tended to withdraw from social contact. They felt confused, afraid for their future and vulnerable to

ISSN:1359-107X    

DOI:10.1111/j.2044-8287.1998.tb00556.x

出版商:Blackwell Publishing Ltd    

年代:1998

数据来源: WILEY

摘要:

Objectives. This study aimed to determine the contribution made to psychological distress following stoma surgery by stoma‐related cognitions and ‘non‐cognitive’ factors such as age, marital status, physical symptoms and past psychiatric history.Design. A questionnaire (Stoma Cognitions Questionnaire, SCQ) to measure negative stoma‐related beliefs was developed. The main contributors to psychological adjustment to stoma surgery were determined by interviewing patients post‐operatively.Methods. Seventy‐nine patients who had undergone stoma surgery were interviewed at home between one and three months post‐operatively. Patients were asked about belief in negative stoma‐related cognitions, psychological distress, physical symptoms and demographic and medicosurgical information.Results. The contribution of cognitions, demographic and medicosurgical information to variance in psychological outcome was examined using stepwise multiple regression. Responses to three SCQ items explained almost 60 per cent of the variability in psychological distress levels. Past psychiatric history and the presence of physical symptomatology were also significant contributors.Conclusions. The presence of a past psychiatric history and physical complications/symptomatology are significantly related to post‐operative psychological distress following stoma surgery. Cognitions about physical integrity, impact on life and control are important in understanding adjustment to stoma surgery. These could be targeted for modification using cognitive therapy to reduce psychological distress among

ISSN:1359-107X    

DOI:10.1111/j.2044-8287.1998.tb00557.x

出版商:Blackwell Publishing Ltd    

年代:1998

数据来源: WILEY

ISSN:1359-107X    

DOI:10.1111/j.2044-8287.1998.tb00558.x

出版商:Blackwell Publishing Ltd    

年代:1998

数据来源: WILEY