Description
All individuals have to deal with health and illness. Their health behavior can directly impact their health outcomes. Engaging in healthy behaviors reduces the risk of certain conditions, while unhealthy behaviors can increase that risk. Health behaviors encompass overt behavioral patterns, actions, and habits that relate to maintaining, restoring, and improving health (Gochman, 1997: 3). This definition includes various behaviors such as diet, alcohol use, smoking, physical activity, sexual behaviors, medication adherence, screening, and vaccination. Examining health behaviors in both healthy and health-compromised populations is a crucial area where public health has made significant contributions to improving people's well-being.
Health literacy is closely related to health behavior and refers to a complex network of knowledge and skills that empower individuals to educate themselves and be educated (Nutbeam, 2008; Sørensen et al., 2012). Nutbeam (2008: 2072) defines health literacy as "the extent to which individuals have the capacity to access, process, and understand basic health information and services needed to make appropriate health decisions." Individuals with limited health literacy often struggle to navigate the healthcare system, especially when it comes to accessing preventive care, screenings, diagnoses, and treatments. McCaffery et al. (2010) argue that low health literacy occurs when a person's literacy and numeracy skills do not align with the often technical, complex, and unfamiliar information provided by healthcare professionals and organizations.
To improve people's health behavior, health promotion is necessary. Health promotion is the process by which individuals increase control over and enhance their health (WHO, 1986). Numerous health promotion programs and interventions have been developed to improve the health and well-being of individuals and groups. These interventions aim to shift the focus of healthcarefrom hospitals to community-based settings (Baxter et al., 2018).
This Handbook consolidates essential knowledge on health behavior, health literacy, health education, health promotion, and programs/interventions that can enhance global health. It is divided into three books and several parts covering health disciplines, theories, concepts in health behavior, health promotion, and illness prevention. Book one will contain specific sections that address health-related concepts and health behavior. Book two will embrace theoretical and practical aspects of health promotion, health literacy and health programs and interventions for promoting health. Book three will comprise health behavior and health promotion related disciplines, environment and health behavior, and research methods applicable to examining health behavior and illness prevention in individuals and groups. Chapters in three books encompass both theoretical and practical aspects of health behavior and illness prevention.
The Handbook takes a critical perspective when addressing these issues and avoids adopting a deficit model or victim-blaming approach. For instance, health-compromising behavior may stem from low health literacy, which could, in turn, result from a lack of education. However, the Handbook seeks to delve into the underlying causes of individuals' lack of education, which may be linked to marginalization, poverty, power imbalances, and similar factors. By avoiding a deficit model or victim-blaming approach, the chapters in the Handbook will tackle the root causes of health-compromising behavior.
Contributors to the Handbook include researchers, educators and practitioners specializing in health behavior and health promotion. Their work contributes to illness prevention and the improvement of health and well-being in individuals and groups. The chapters will be valuable to students, researchers, and practitioners in the health fields.
Table of Contents
Health behavior-and health promotion-related disciplines and research methodologies: Setting the scene.- Health Behavior-Related Disciplines.- Behavior health science.- Health promotion.- Health education.- Public health.- Global health.- Health psychology.- Medical anthropology.- Health sociology.- Primary health care.- Nursing.- Social medicine.- Medical pluralism.- Environmental science.- Social epidemiology.- Social work and health.- Occupational therapy and health.- Physiotherapy and health.- Sports and health.- Eastern health.- Religion, spirituality and health.- Alternative/traditional medicine.- Environment and Health behavior.- Life stress and health.- Work, stress and health.- Stress and Coping Theory.- Emotional intelligence, health, and stress.- Environment and health.- Environmental determinants of health.- Health promoting outdoor environment.- Neighborhood environment and health.- Social connectedness and healthy cities.- Social connectedness and community gardens.- New energy vehicles and environmental and health promotion benefits.- Community resilience and climate change.- Social cohesion, neighborhood resilience and health.- Barbershops and beauty salons as community anchors for promoting health.- One health and human behavior.- Healthy cities and health.- Healthy cities and urban inequality.- Healthy cities and communities Planetary health promotion.- The Healthy Streets approach and health promotion.- Build environment and health.- Walkable environment and healthy urban living.- Air pollution and health impact.- Leisure, health and well-being.- Housing and health.- Climate change and human health.- Climate Change, public health and human rights.- What air pollution does to the health of residents in Hanoi, Vietnam.- Wastewater and its effects on environment and health.- Green spaces, health and well-being.- Researching Health Behavior, Health Promotion & Illness Prevention.- Qualitative research and health behavior and health promotion.- CBPR research and health promotion.- Smart Kidney mobile application for people with chronic kidney disease: The use of codesigned-based intervention to promote self-management in Vietnam.- Photovoice and health promotion.- Using photovoice to examine human-nature relations as a source of resilience.- The use of visual narratives to improve health literacy and change health behavior.- Walking/go along interviews and health promotion.- Digital storytelling method and health promotion.- Social networking method and health behavior/promotion.- Concept mapping method and health literacy.- The Delphi approach and community resilience.- In situ methodologies and health promotion research.- Using cake metaphor as a method for health promotion.- Using Black Feminist Theory and methods and best practices in health promotion programming.- Using vignette to explore health issue.- MTURK utility in gerontological research.- Social survey and health behavior/ health promotion.- Mixed methods research and health seeking behavior.- Health promotion evaluation Critical realism.- Measuring health behavior.
