Tools and Settings
Content
Questions and Tasks
Esteem
The regard and respect one holds for oneself or others; a positive opinion or valuation.
Informational
Pertaining to the communication or provision of information; conveying knowledge or facts.
Circular
Shaped like a circle; involving or following a circular path or pattern. A circular process is also called a cycle.
Linear
Having the form of a line; characterized by a straight or nearly straight arrangement or progression.
Relapse
The return to a negative condition or pattern of behavior, often after a period of improvement or recovery.
Personalize
To tailor or customize something to meet individual needs or preferences; to make something distinctive to a person.
Nicotine
A stimulant and psychoactive substance found in tobacco products, responsible for the addictive properties of smoking.
Mammogram
An X-ray examination of the breast, commonly used as a screening tool for the early detection of breast cancer.
Continuum
A continuous sequence or range, without clear divisions; a progression or spectrum.
Overdose
The ingestion or exposure to an excessive amount of a substance, typically a drug, leading to harmful or toxic effects.
Self-Efficacy is basic to behavior change, and is a component of several health theories. Developed by Alfred Bandura, self-efficacy refers to a person’s belief about their ability to perform a task.
The following are similar terms but with different meanings:
Self Esteem: an appraisal of a person’s own worth, and the opinion they have about themselves, which can change depending on moods or approval of others.
Self Worth: core beliefs about a person’s value, usually does not change over time.
Individual Worth: related to self worth, this is one of the Young Women values and corresponds to D&C 18:10, “Remember the worth of souls is great in the sight of God”
Self-Efficacy: a person’s belief in their ability to complete a task or achieve a goal and their confidence in controlling their behavior. A person can use their belief in their Individual worth to help build their self-efficacy.
Bandura and other researchers have found that self-efficacy plays a major role in whether people are successful in changing their own behavior. A person with high self-efficacy forms a stronger sense of commitment, recovers more quickly after setbacks, and views challenges as tasks to master.
The purpose of the Stages of Change Model is to explain behavior change. The Stages of Change Model came from studies comparing the experiences of smokers who quit on their own with those of smokers receiving professional treatment. The model’s basic premise is that behavior change is a process that moves through the following five stages:
Interventions can be designed for each stage and tailored for different points along this continuum.
Although everyone goes through some form of these stages, the manner in which an individual progresses can vary greatly depending on the type of behavior change. For example, a smoker may be in precontemplation and then in contemplation for many years. A person who wants to eat more fruits and vegetables may be in precontemplation briefly and then in preparation for a very short time.
The Stages of Change Model can be applied to individual behaviors as well as to organizational change. The Model is circular, not linear. In other words, progress from one stage to the next does not always happen at the same rate. Individuals can enter the change process at any stage, and can go backward, relapsing to an earlier stage. They can also cycle through the process more than once.
The following stages will be explained in more detail and have suggested strategies of change.
(U.S. Department of Health & Human Services et al., 2005)
A large company hires a health educator to plan a smoking cessation program for 200 employees who smoke. They offer free group smoking cessation clinics. However, only 50 of the smokers sign up for the clinics. How can they reach the 150 smokers who did not sign up?
The Stages of Change Model suggests an approach, by understanding why they are not attending, and suggesting strategies to help them. By asking a few simple questions, the health educator can assess what stages of change the smokers are in. The following are some examples of questions that can be used in each stage:
The health educator can tailor messages and programs appropriate to their stage.
Helping Populations Progress Through Stages of Change
U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, National Institutes of Health, & National Cancer Institute. (2005). Theory at a Glance: A guide for health promotion practice (2nd ed.). https://cancercontrol.cancer.gov/sites/default/files/2020-06/theory.pdf