**2.5 Health behaviours**

Health behaviour is part of maintaining a healthy lifestyle and avoiding ill health. These are known as protective health behaviours. Health protective behaviours include the following categories:


Although most of us are familiar with the need to engage in these health behaviours, only a few of us actually do so, and that is what we need to work on to remind people of adopting a better health lifestyles. Many other researchers such as Berg (1976 as cited in Pitts, 1998) asserted that most people are aware of which health behaviours should be engaged in; however, they frequently do not do so, and they instead do engage in activities which they know to be harmful to their health. It is this cantankerousness which psychologists have spent a great deal of time examining. The dilemma for health psychologists is to explain why some or many people do

**3**

*Introductory Chapter: Bio-Psychosocial Model of Health DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.85024*

not do what they know is in their own best interest to do and why some people are

This chapter is therefore in support of a consistent focus on the role of knowledge in informing people of the risks to themselves that certain behaviours can engender. Pitts [3] reported studies that examining a range of issues relevant to health such as smoking, drug-taking, medical checks and adopting safer sex have fairly consistently shown that knowledge, by itself, does not lead to behaviour change. The only question left to ask is: So what is required, other than knowledge, to persuade people to look after their health? This question is the guiding principle to understand the role of health psychology in persuading people to look after their

It is generally recognized that there are two models of health, namely, biomedi-

Within health psychology one model that has enjoyed considerable popularity is

the 'stress-diathesis' model (Steptoe cited in [3]) which is currently called biopsychosocial model. This model was first described by G.L. Engel in 1977. It emphasizes the interactive effect of environment and individual vulnerability (genetic and psychological characteristics) factors upon health [3]. According to bio-psychosocial model, psychological, physical and social threats present demands upon an individual's resources and capacity for coping which give rise to physiological reactions involving the autonomic nervous system (ANS) and endocrine and immune system of the body. The effects include both short-term and long-term components, and these may have consequences on health depending upon the individual's predisposition or

cal and bio-psychosocial models. Biomedical model focuses on treatment and elimination of symptoms, while bio-psychosocial model focuses on individual's perception of their symptoms and how they and their families respond to symptoms they are experiencing [6]. Also Deacon [7] asserts that under the biomedical model, illnesses were understood as having physiological aetiologies that were diagnosed through distinct biochemical markers and were to be treated through physical interventions. This chapter however is primarily focusing only on the bio-psychosocial models of health. Its founder, Engel [8], discovered that bio-psychosocial model represents the contribution of biological, psychological and social factors in determining

health. **Table 1** shows the differences between the two models.

more amenable to the adoption of healthy habits than others.

health informed by bio-psychosocial model.

*Health (source: adopted from Sarafino [4]).*

**2.6 Models of health**

**Figure 1.**

*Introductory Chapter: Bio-Psychosocial Model of Health DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.85024*

*Psychology of Health - Biopsychosocial Approach*

**2.3 The goals of health psychology**

• Promote and maintain health

• Prevent and treat illness

dysfunction

**2.5 Health behaviours**

*etiologic and diagnostic correlates of health, illness and related dysfunction, and the analysis and improvement of the health care system and health policy formation.*

Sarafino ([4]:11) mentioned the following goals of health psychology as to:

• Identify the causes and diagnosis correlates of health, illness and related

The recognition of health psychology as a designated field is widely acknowledged. The relationship between mind and body and the effect of one upon the other has always been a controversial topic amongst philosophers, psychologists and physiologists. Within psychology, the development of the study of psychosomatic disorders owes much to Freud [3]. It has been observed in the recent studies that more deaths are caused now by heart disease, cancer and strokes which are by-product of changes in lifestyles in the twentieth century. Psychologists can be instrumental in investigating and influencing lifestyles and behaviours which are

Health behaviour is part of maintaining a healthy lifestyle and avoiding ill health. These are known as protective health behaviours. Health protective behav-

• Environmental hazard avoidance—avoiding areas of pollution or crime.

• Safety practices—repairing things, keeping first aid kits and emergency

Although most of us are familiar with the need to engage in these health behaviours, only a few of us actually do so, and that is what we need to work on to remind people of adopting a better health lifestyles. Many other researchers such as Berg (1976 as cited in Pitts, 1998) asserted that most people are aware of which health behaviours should be engaged in; however, they frequently do not do so, and they instead do engage in activities which they know to be harmful to their health. It is this cantankerousness which psychologists have spent a great deal of time examining. The dilemma for health psychologists is to explain why some or many people do

• Harmful substance avoidance—not smoking or drinking alcohol.

• Health practices—sleeping enough, eating sensibly and so forth.

• Preventive health care—dental check-ups and smear tests.

• Analyse and improve healthcare systems and health policy

**2.4 Background of health psychology to public health**

conducive or detrimental to good health [3].

iours include the following categories:

telephone numbers handy.

**2**

**Figure 1.** *Health (source: adopted from Sarafino [4]).*

not do what they know is in their own best interest to do and why some people are more amenable to the adoption of healthy habits than others.

This chapter is therefore in support of a consistent focus on the role of knowledge in informing people of the risks to themselves that certain behaviours can engender. Pitts [3] reported studies that examining a range of issues relevant to health such as smoking, drug-taking, medical checks and adopting safer sex have fairly consistently shown that knowledge, by itself, does not lead to behaviour change. The only question left to ask is: So what is required, other than knowledge, to persuade people to look after their health? This question is the guiding principle to understand the role of health psychology in persuading people to look after their health informed by bio-psychosocial model.

## **2.6 Models of health**

It is generally recognized that there are two models of health, namely, biomedical and bio-psychosocial models. Biomedical model focuses on treatment and elimination of symptoms, while bio-psychosocial model focuses on individual's perception of their symptoms and how they and their families respond to symptoms they are experiencing [6]. Also Deacon [7] asserts that under the biomedical model, illnesses were understood as having physiological aetiologies that were diagnosed through distinct biochemical markers and were to be treated through physical interventions. This chapter however is primarily focusing only on the bio-psychosocial models of health. Its founder, Engel [8], discovered that bio-psychosocial model represents the contribution of biological, psychological and social factors in determining health. **Table 1** shows the differences between the two models.

Within health psychology one model that has enjoyed considerable popularity is the 'stress-diathesis' model (Steptoe cited in [3]) which is currently called biopsychosocial model. This model was first described by G.L. Engel in 1977. It emphasizes the interactive effect of environment and individual vulnerability (genetic and psychological characteristics) factors upon health [3]. According to bio-psychosocial model, psychological, physical and social threats present demands upon an individual's resources and capacity for coping which give rise to physiological reactions involving the autonomic nervous system (ANS) and endocrine and immune system of the body.

The effects include both short-term and long-term components, and these may have consequences on health depending upon the individual's predisposition or


**Table 1.**

*Comparing biomedical and bio-psychosocial models of health.*

vulnerability to adverse effects. Vulnerable individuals develop chronic allostatic reactions such as reduced immunocompetence or exaggerated sympathetic activation of the ANS or increased secretion of adrenal hormones. Physiological reactions of these types have been implicated in the development of many disease states, including cancers, cardiovascular diseases and other non-communicable diseases susceptibility to infections [3]. The following section presents the strengths and critical views of bio-psychosocial model.
