**7.2 Behavioral approach**

Making healthy choices can be complicated and requires self-motivation. A behavioral approach to health aims to inspire individuals to adopt healthy lifestyle behaviors, to use preventive health services, and to take responsibility for their own health. The behavioral approach is popular because it views health as an individual asset and, as such, it can be assumed that people have the ability to make good decisions to improve their health and make healthy lifestyle choices. This approach also assumes that people have only themselves to blame if they do not take steps to look after their health.

It is apparent that the relationship between people's behavior and social and environmental factors is complicated. A person's behavior may be outside of their control due to the conditions in which they live. For example, a person may be unemployed or living in poverty and thus unable to make healthy choices.

The behavioral approach has been undertaken by many health promotion agencies. For example, health campaigns promote quitting smoking, adopting a healthy diet, and regularly participating in physical activities. This method is focused on individuals although mass communication means may be used to reach them. The behavioral approach is typically a professional-led, top-down method, which highlights the divide between the health professional, who knows how to enhance fitness and wellbeing, and the general public who requires education and advice [8, 9].

In some instances, interventions can be directed to clients' needs although these needs will also be identified by the health provider. The behavioral change method is primarily based on trying to change a person's attitudes and behaviors so that they undertake a healthful way of life. For instance, health professionals teach

clients how to take care of their teeth, how to prepare their daily food menu, how to lose weight, and so on. This approach underscores the importance of health workers to seize every opportunity to teach healthy lifestyles. However, while it is the duty of health workers to teach, people should also see living a healthy life as their responsibility.

Many healthcare professionals teach their clients about health and wellness via education and individual consultation. Patient education about a health condition or treatment may be used to ensure patient compliance to a certain regimen and thus is focused on the individual and providing them with useful and reliable information.

#### **7.3 Educational approach**

The purpose of the educational approach is to provide information and facts, and to develop relevant skills so that individuals can make knowledgeable choices about their health. This approach is different from the behavioral approach. It is not intended to motivate people to move in certain directions, although it does hope to lead them to an outcome. It is based on personal choice regardless of whether the choices made are agreeable to the healthcare promoter.

The goal of the educational method is to offer people facts and encourage them to make their own decisions about their health behavior. Educational interventions require the promoter to understand the concepts the person is studying as well as any factors that assist or preclude the studying.

Psychological theories of learning identify three aspects:


The educational method is based on the premise that access to information can help change and modify behavior. When a person is knowledgeable, they are capable of making clear choices acceptable to both health experts and the public.

The educational approach to health promotion involves offering facts to assist people in making informed decisions about their health behavior. This can be accomplished through distribution of materials that contain health information, presentation of health topics, and counseling.

Education offers possibilities for individuals to discuss and discover their attitudes about their personal wellness. Educational programmes may broaden individuals' decision-making capabilities through drama or program designed to discover alternatives. In the educational method, individuals may have the opportunity to role play real-life situations to solidify what they are learning. Educational programmes are typically led through a trainer or facilitator.

#### **7.4 Empowerment approach**

Within the context of health promotion, empowerment may be understood as a procedure through which human beings are allowed to control and manage their health and things affecting their health. An empowerment method seeks to allow people as individuals as well as collectively to develop their ability to control their own health status and make their own health decisions. This method focuses on helping people develop decision-making and problem-solving skills and encouraging them to engage in critical thinking and critical action.

#### *Health Promotion DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.101933*

In this method, the health expert works with individuals or groups to assist them in identifying what they need to recognize and act on in their body and environment. Then, based on their knowledge and wishes, to make decisions. The function of the health expert is to behave as a facilitator. They assist individuals in identifying their concerns and help them acquire the information and capabilities needed to make adjustments. Empowerment of individuals and communities is vital in health promotion. Individuals or groups have information, capabilities, and competencies to make contributions and decisions. They also have an absolute power to govern their personal health.
