STUDY GUIDE:Health Behavior Change

Instructions: The questions below can be used to guide further individual self-study, or group discussion, after watching Health Behavior Change. If you are leading a group learning experience using this module, you may wish to review the questions with participants in advance of the session and again afterwards to gauge their learning.

1. Do you agree or disagree with this statement about health behavior: “Knowledge is enough to change behavior”? Why do you agree or disagree?

2. What do you think makes it difficult for individuals to change their health behaviors?

3. As an individual, how can you help others in their efforts to change health behaviors?

4. Thinking about your community, what changes could be made at this level to support community members in making healthier choices?

5. Your group is organizing a campaign to raise awareness of heart disease risk factors. Individuals at what stage of change might be most impacted by efforts to raise awareness?

6. Jan is 55 and has never had a mammogram (the American Cancer Society recommends breast cancer screening starting at age 45). She has access to free screening, but does not have health insurance. She does not have a family history of breast cancer. If your group were planning an intervention aiming to get women like Jan to have a mammogram, what component(s) of the health belief model might shape your approach?

7. Considering Jan’s situation (see #6), how might your approach change if Jan had a family history of breast cancer?

8. Considering Jan’s situation (see #6 and #7), what kind of community-level supports might help address some barriers to getting a mammogram?

9. Which model or theory (social ecological model, health belief model, or stages of change) made the most sense to you? Why?

10.Name one way you can include health behavior change theory in your work as a Well Connected Community Volunteer.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

Glanz, K. (n.d.) Social and Behavioral Theories. National Institutes of Health Office of Behavioral & Social Sciences Research. Access at: http://www.esourceresearch.org/Portals/0/Uploads/Documents/Public/Glanz_FullChapter.pdf

National Cancer Institute Division of Cancer Control and Population Sciences (2008). Constructs and Measures for Health Behavior. Access at: https://cancercontrol.cancer.gov/brp/research/constructs/index.html

Rimer, B.K. & Glanz, K. (2005). Theory at a Glance: A Guide for Health Promotion Practice, 2nd ed. National Institutes of Health, National Cancer Institute. Access at: https://cancercontrol.cancer.gov/brp/research/theories_project/theory.pdf

Simpson, V. (2015). Models and Theories to Support Health Behavior Intervention and Program Planning. Purdue Extension Health and Human Sciences. Access at: https://extension.purdue.edu/extmedia/HHS/HHS-792-W.pdf