THE CHALLENGE OF MENTAL HEALTH PROMOTION

Abstract

Defining beliefs, values, instincts, drives and attitudes 62 Factors affecting beliefs, values and attitudes 64 How are attitudes formed? 66 The relationship between attitudes and health behaviours 69 The transtheoretical approach to health behaviour change 71 Summary of key points 74 References 74 Further reading 75 There are many circumstances in life where, on reflection, it seems unfathomable that an unhealthy lifestyle, e.g. smoking, was not identified sooner. When that unhealthy lifestyle causes a danger to occur such as a pre-term birth the question most commonly asked is ‘what could have been done to prevent it happening?’ However, prior to the danger becoming a reality, the threat posed by the unhealthy lifestyle is ignored and considered irrelevant. This is an issue with which we have all battled one way or another both as individuals and as midwives. The way in which we act and react when looking at our health depends on many factors such as attitudes and beliefs and their effect on our health behaviour. In examining the factors and understanding how they shape and guide health behaviour, the midwife will be able to deliver more meaningful health promotion. Within this chapter, attitude, values, drives and beliefs are defined and their impact, along with other factors on health behaviour, examined. Using the ‘theory of reasoned action’ (Ajzen and Fishbein 1980) the relationship between attitudes and health behaviour will be looked at before examining Prochaska and DiClemente’s (1984) trans-theoretical approach – one of the most commonly used health behaviour change frameworks.

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