Health Essay

            An analysis of the validity of the Health Belief and Health Action Process Approach theoretical models of health related behaviour in relation to research evidence of the actual behaviour of individuals who engage in excessive alcohol consumption.
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             Theoretical models of health related behaviour are attempts to provide a frame work through which the cognitive processes gone through by individuals when deciding on health behaviours can be broken down and examined. Models are commonly used as they highlight which variables ought to be measured for research and how the variables combine and interact with each other to predict health behaviours (Conner & Norman 1993). There are numerous models available so it is common for them to be grouped by similarity. .
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             Ogden (1998) defines the groups by the presence of absence of consideration of certain factors. The "Cognition Models" group comprises the Health Belief model (HBM) and Protection Motivation theory. The "Social Cognition Models" group is comprised of the Theory of Planned Behaviour and the Health Action Process Approach. The cognition models are grouped together as they make the assumption that health behaviours are decided upon through individuals weighing up the costs and benefits of the behaviours. The Social Cognition Models however suggest that decisions about health behaviour are also affected by expectancies, social cognitions and incentives. .
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             A more in depth and detailed grouping is offered by Armitage and Conner (2000). Models can be divided into three groups: Motivational Models, Behavioural Enaction Models and Multi-stage Models. Motivational Models focus on factions such as protection, perceived threat and motivation. The models which fall into this group are the HBM, Protection Motivation theory, and Social Cognitive theory. Behavioural Enaction models try to bridge the gap between the motivational factors explained by motivational models and the actual behaviours that happen as a result.