Health Behaviour Change following Persuasive Communication

Abstract

This study was undertaken to assess the impact of a persuasively presented academic course in Health Psychology on students' health behaviour. Ninety-eight students attending a third-year optional course in Health Psychology at the University of Cape Town volunteered to participate in the study. The students completed a self-report Lifestyle Evaluation Questionnaire (LEO) at the beginning of the six-week course, at the completion of the course and at an eightmonth follow-up. A Lifestyie Beliefs Questionnaire (LBO) based on the Health Belief Model was also filled out at the follow-up date. The results showed a statistically significant change in the exercise health behaviour, improving as the study progressed. LEO factors of food and care improved significantly from the beginning to the completion of the course, with the care factor also maintaining a significant change from beginning to follow-up. Analysis of the LBO indicated that the benefits component predicted exercise and drug use, the barriers component predicted exercise behaviour, and the susceptibility component predicted drug use. It was concluded that persuasive communication had a motivating effect on young, healthy adults to practise positive health behaviours.Hierdie ondersoek is gedoen om die impak van 'n oorredende akademiese kursus in Gesondheidsielkunde op studente se gesondheidsoptrede te bepaal. Agt-en-negentig studente wat 'n opsionele derdejaarsvlak kursus in Gesondheidsielkunde bywoon, het vrywilliglik deelgeneem aan die studie. Die studente het 'n Lewenstyl Evalueringsvraelys (LE) aan die begin van die sesweke kursus, met die voltooing van die kursus sowel as ten tye van 'n agtmaande opvolg ingevul. 'n Lewenstyl Oortuiginge Vraelys (LOV) gebasseer op die Gesondheidoortuiginge Model was ook ingevul ten tye van die opvolg datum. Die resultate toon 'n statisties betekenisvolle verandering in die oefen gesondheidsoptrede wattoegeneem het met die verloop van die studie. LE faktore van voedsel en versorging het beduidend verbetervanaf die begin tot die einde van die kursus. Die versorgings faktor het ook 'n beduidende verandering van begin tot die opvolg getoon. Analiseering van die LOV het aangetoon dat die voordele komponent oefening en middele gebruik voorspel het; die inhiberende komponent het oefengewoontes voorspel en die ontvank-Iikheids komponent het middele gebruik voorspel. Daar is tot die gevolgtrekking gekom dat oorredende kommunikasie jong gesonde volwassenes tot positiewe gesondheidsoptrede motiveer.

Biopsychosocial Determinants of Self-Management in Culturally Diverse South African Patients with Essential Hypertension

“…The marked discrepancy between medication and lifestyle self-management is hardly surprising. Many researchers (Brannon & Feist, 1997;Dunbar-Jacob, Burke, & Puczynski, 1995;Schomer, Wadlow, & Dunne, 1996) emphasized that lifestyle is extremely difficult to change.…”