Question and Answers: Promoting Health Education in Schools

The Transtheoretical Model of Behavior Change (TTM) was created by Prochaska and DiClemente. It is based on “(1) the stages of change, (2) the decisional balance scale, (3) the strong and weak principle, (4) self-efficacy, and (5) the processes of change” (Kelly, 2008, p. 149). A person’s progression through the stages depends on their perception of the advantages of adopting a healthy lifestyle (Kelly, 2008).

In this unit I am going to explain three different approaches to promoting Health Education the three approaches I am going to explain are Mass Media, Community development and Two way Communication.

Health promotion programs use approaches to target individuals or population groups, through health education programs, social

Throughout this coursework I will be writing about different life-stages of my chosen celebrity. My chosen celebrity is Michael Jackson. I will start with physical development and go through intellectual, emotional and social developments.

The Contemplation Stage and Preparation Stage of the Stages of Change Model vary greatly. In the Contemplation Stage, a person reflects on their own behavior, their ability to change, and the outcome it would bring compared to their current behavior. After a person has moved on from the Contemplation Stage, they take a step forward and begin test their ability to change by taking small steps like foreshadowing the difficulties that they will face and like the name of the stage suggest, prepare for them.

The aim of this case based study, is to Promote Health and behaviour changes within the work place,

Another model, Transtheoretical Model of Behavior Change is a biopsychosocial model that suggests six stages of behavior change. The stages included in this model are pre-contemplation, contemplation, determination/preparation, action, maintenance, and relapse of batterers. This model is usually used to help individuals overcome addictive behaviors. The first stage, pre-contemplation, is the stage in which batterers cannot admit their problem when it comes to violence. Batterers will claim their actions are against their partner was a normal reaction. (Alexander & Morris, 2008; Popescu et al., 2009). In the second stage, contemplation, individuals slowly arrive at the conclusion that they have a problem and reflect the benefits to changing their actions. Determination/preparation is the stage in which individuals determine how they will approach solving the issue or decide on the best course of action. The action stage is when the individuals are heavily involved in the changing process. The final stage of the trans-theoretical model is maintenance, which is when the individual is tries to prevent reverting back to their previous behaviors. Individuals must try to sustain all of the advancements and change they have made to their behaviors throughout the process (Popescu et al.,

The contributing factor which makes it so successful is that it provides an explanation into the ‘how’ of behaviour change as opposed to the ‘why’, effectively demonstrating problematic areas which need to be addressed (Adam & White, 2003). This alludes to the source of the problematic behaviour and stimulates thought into how this behaviour can be changed. A main component of the model which makes it so effective is its integral focus on decision-making, important in promoting real change in the individual (Adam & White, 2003). Decision-making is imperative to this model’s success as it allows for intervention strategies that are individually tailored as well as applicable to a wider, diverse population (Nigg et al, 2011). Not all individuals begin at the same stage and hence TTM provides the appropriate mechanisms to support those who aren’t ready for change, those who are committed, and those who experience relapse (Nigg et al, 2011). For example, two individuals may utilise this model to engage in more effective behaviours regarding physical activity. Although they both share a common goal, they may be in different stages of the model – one individual may be in the preparation stage contemplating an exercise regime, while the other may be in the maintenance stage considering methods to maintain change (Nigg et al,

The transtheoretical model helps explain the patient’s behavior change related to the health aspects. As per this change agent, the patient’s purposeful behavior change consists of the cognitive and the performance-based elements. The five stages of the model are precontemplation, contemplation, preparation, action and the maintenance stage (Virginia Tech Continuing & Professional Education, n.d.).

The Transtheoretical Model is a theory of health behavior that suggests that behavior change is a process, not an event. There are five stages of change someone can go through while attempting to engage in positive behavior: precontemplation, no intention to act within six months; contemplation, intention to act within six months; preparation, intention to act within the next thirty days along with some behavioral steps; action, changed behavior for less than six months, maintenance, changed behavior for more than six months; termination, end of the behavior. These stages are not linear, so an individual can move up and down the stages of change indiscriminately.

The transtheoretical model can be applied as an intervention to assess behavior change. This model has five stages which are pre-contemplation, contemplation, preparation, action, and maintenance. These stages

The theory has 5 stages of behavior change: pre-contemplations, contemplation, preparation, action, and maintenance. The stages of change explain when and why people change.

The Transtheoretical Model (TTM) is a theory that describes the willingness that people have towards making a change in their life; this can include removing something bad or adding a new condition or attitude. The Encyclopedia of Public Health (2008), stated that “the TTM of intentional behavior change describes change as a process that unfolds over time and progresses through six stages: precontemplation (not ready to take action); contemplation (getting ready); preparation (ready); action (overt change); maintenance (sustained change); and termination (no risk of relapse)”. The TTM is often used for health promotion strategies for smoking cessation, increasing activity levels or exercising, losing weight to prevent obesity, and many other

· Guidelines for good nutrition and exercise: eat a variety of foods every day to include, fresh fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. Decrease the amount of fatty, sugary foods and drinks consumed. Drink more water. Get 30-60 minutes of exercise daily.

Health promotion aims a wide range of targets at different levels in the community. The huge benefits resulted from health promotion and disease prevention efforts make many realize that this domain of health care is worth to be invested in. The focus is shifted evermore from the medical to the preventative approach, from treating the disease to avoiding the onset of it.