Attitudes Toward Health Promoting Behaviors

AND HEALTH-RELATED ATTITUDES AND BELIEFS TOWARD HEALTH PROMOTING

Health promotion consists of activities aimed at increasing the well-being of individuals, families and communities (Lancaster & Lancaster, 1992). Generally, hospitals and other community health care agencies and facilities offer a variety of health promotion programs (Lancaster & Lancaster, 1992). However, there exists a substantial body of theory and research supporting the notion that the extent to which people utilize these and other programs and services is strongly dependent upon their health beliefs (Hochbaum, 1958; Kegels, 1965; Rosenstock, 1974; Pender, 1987; Lancaster, 1992).

This paper presents a critical analysis of the relationship between an individual's health promotion behavior and her attitudes and beliefs toward health promotion practices and issues. Data for the analysis were collected through an interview. The interviewee was Mildred B., a 53 year-old family friend who works in a bakery that her family has owned for two generations.

In the conducted interview, Mildred B. was asked to share her beliefs and behaviors regarding health promotion activities generally as well as regarding specific health promotion issues including those issues related to eating habits, contraception and reproductive issues, and avoidance of health-compromising behaviors such as smoking, exercise,

. . .
was also asked questions concerning her beliefs and attitudes related to contraception and other reproductive issues. She stated that she had gone through menopause "early" and was now receiving estrogen therapy. She placed a great deal of importance on the need for estrogen therapy and said that, on the advice of her doctor, she also took calcium supplements. When asked why she felt it was "extremely important" to receive estrogen therapy and take calcium supplements, she reported that her mother had suffered from osteoporosis and that by the time she was in her early 70s, she was "bent over" and "couldn't straightened up when she walked." Mildred definitely did not want this to happen to her. Mildred B's sentiments regarding estrogen therapy and calcium supplements can also be related to Rosenstock's (1974) notion of action cues. Rosenstock's model holds that an illness of a family member is a strong action cue and that it is likely to increase an individual's perception of being likely to develop a given condition; this perception, in turn, increases the person's likelihood of taking recommended preventative health action. Mildred B.'s beliefs about estrogen therapy and calcium supplements as important health promotion be
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Approximate Word count = 1886
Approximate Pages = 8 (250 words per page)

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