Why is changing health-related behaviour so difficult?
Why is changing health-related behaviour so difficult?
Objective: To demonstrate that six common errors made in attempts to change behaviour have prevented the implementation of the scientific evidence base derived from psychology and sociology; to suggest a new approach which incorporates recent developments in the behavioural sciences.
Study design: The role of health behaviours in the origin of the current epidemic of non-communicable disease is observed to have driven attempts to change behaviour. It is noted that most efforts to change health behaviours have had limited success. This paper suggests that in policy-making, discussions about behaviour change are subject to six common errors and that these errors have made the business of health-related behaviour change much more difficult than it needs to be.
Methods: Overview of policy and practice attempts to change health-related behaviour.
Results: The reasons why knowledge and learning about behaviour have made so little progress in alcohol, dietary and physical inactivity-related disease prevention are considered, and an alternative way of thinking about the behaviours involved is suggested. This model harnesses recent developments in the behavioural sciences.
Conclusion: It is important to understand the conditions preceding behaviour psychologically and sociologically and to combine psychological ideas about the automatic and reflective systems with sociological ideas about social practice.
1-8
Kelly, Michael P.
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Barker, Mary
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Kelly, Michael P.
b7896f7f-8989-4045-b9a7-c257c82c07e8
Barker, Mary
374310ad-d308-44af-b6da-515bf5d2d6d2
Abstract
Objective: To demonstrate that six common errors made in attempts to change behaviour have prevented the implementation of the scientific evidence base derived from psychology and sociology; to suggest a new approach which incorporates recent developments in the behavioural sciences.
Study design: The role of health behaviours in the origin of the current epidemic of non-communicable disease is observed to have driven attempts to change behaviour. It is noted that most efforts to change health behaviours have had limited success. This paper suggests that in policy-making, discussions about behaviour change are subject to six common errors and that these errors have made the business of health-related behaviour change much more difficult than it needs to be.
Methods: Overview of policy and practice attempts to change health-related behaviour.
Results: The reasons why knowledge and learning about behaviour have made so little progress in alcohol, dietary and physical inactivity-related disease prevention are considered, and an alternative way of thinking about the behaviours involved is suggested. This model harnesses recent developments in the behavioural sciences.
Conclusion: It is important to understand the conditions preceding behaviour psychologically and sociologically and to combine psychological ideas about the automatic and reflective systems with sociological ideas about social practice.
Text
Kelly Barker Revised version January 2016 untracked w MB.docx
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Accepted/In Press date: 28 March 2016
e-pub ahead of print date: 13 May 2016
Organisations:
Faculty of Medicine
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Local EPrints ID: 394822
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/394822
PURE UUID: 07db9f73-e8c6-453e-8541-8f7f137484a3
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Date deposited: 24 May 2016 11:43
Last modified: 15 Mar 2024 05:35
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Author:
Michael P. Kelly
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