Automaticity, Habit, Routines

Old habits die hard: Disrupting unwanted habitual behaviour

By Annabel Stone and Phillippa Lally, University of Surrey, UK

The New Year is often a time where we aim for change, determined to form new habits and to leave our bad habits behind as the clock strikes midnight. Dusting off our running trainers, filling our shopping trollies with fresh fruit and veg… who hasn’t thought “New Year, New Me”? But a month down the line, why is it our trainers have only seen daylight twice, and that fresh fruit is starting to fur? It seems our bad habits have followed us into the New Year.  (more…)

Brief behavioural intervention, Communication, Interventions, Physical activity

Making Every Health Care Consultation Count: Promoting physical activity in health care settings

By Amanda Daley, Loughborough University, UK

In the United Kingdom and Ireland, the Making Every Contact Count initiative aims to use the thousands of consultations that take place every day between health professionals and patients, to promote healthy behavioural changes.  Specifically, Making Every Contact Count aims to enable and encourage health professionals to capitalise on naturally occurring opportunities in routine practice to deliver brief health behaviour change interventions to patients. The success of approaches such as Making Every Contact Count are dependent on health professionals being willing to have these conversations in consultations every day.  Making Every Contact Count is for everyone, and it is not restricted to specific health professionals, health services or patients.  For these reasons, Making Every Contact Count may reduce health inequalities because the idea is that an inclusive approach is taken whereby all patients receive this support within consultations.

(more…)

Cancer, Fear

What if it comes back? The question that is on the minds of those who experienced cancer treatment and their loved ones

By Gozde Ozakinci, University of Stirling 

Cancer is very much associated with scary statistics. For instance, like the one ‘1 in 2 people will develop some form of cancer in their lifetime’.  But there are encouraging developments too that suggests that cancer survival rates are improving.  The last count in 2018 suggests that there are nearly 44 million people who survived the cancer diagnosis and treatment in the world. This is welcome news to those who have experienced cancer diagnosis and treatment. 

The improvement in survival rates also means that more and more people live with the consequences of cancer treatment. One of these consequences is experiencing fears about cancer coming back. In the literature, it is defined as “fear, worry, or concern relating to the possibility that cancer will come back or progress” and recognised widely as one of the most significant issues that impact on the quality of life of those living after a cancer diagnosis.  (more…)

Communication

Understanding what influences organ donation

By Dr Lee Shepherd, Northumbria University, UK and Professor Ronan E. O’Carroll, University of Stirling, UK and Professor Eamonn Ferguson, University of Nottingham, UK

There are numerous stories of how deceased organ transplantation has offered a lifeline for people. Indeed, each deceased organ donor can change the lives of up to nine people. However, there are too few organs available for transplantation. This shortage results in large waiting lists and people dying before they receive an organ. Therefore, we need to understand what factors influence the likelihood that someone will donate their organs when they die.

(more…)

Dyadic interventions, Goal setting, Physical activity, Social Support

“Fancy a wee walk?” – Dyadic behaviour change support for walking after stroke

By Stephan Dombrowski, University of New Brunswick, Canada

Walking away from death

Walking is one of the most basic forms of human movement and is associated with a plethora of health benefits. Evidence suggests that those who walk more, are less likely to die prematurely, suggesting that it is possible to walk away from death (at least for a while).

Walking and stroke

Walking as a form of physical activity behaviour is particularly helpful for individuals with stroke, a leading cause of adult disability. Regular physical activity post stroke can reduce the risk of a stroke reoccurring, help with recovery and improve overall functioning, health, and wellbeing. However, people with stroke spend around 75% of waking hours sitting, more than their age-matched peers. Yet, walking is one of the most attainable forms of PA post stroke – 95% of individuals can walk 11 weeks following a stroke. In addition, walking is a preferred form of physical activity for people with stroke who consider it accessible, enjoyable and often sociable. The key question is how to support people with stroke to walk more? (more…)

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Covid, Health Psychology, Mental Health, Public Health

Terapia de aceptación y compromiso: Un enfoque prometedor para quienes viven con la COVID-19 prolongada

Por Amy Barradell, Hospital Universitario de Leicester NHS Trust

Un subconjunto de personas que contrajeron la enfermedad por coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) han seguido experimentando síntomas debilitantes durante más de 4 semanas después de su infección aguda. Suelen notificar síntomas tanto físicos (p. ej., disnea, fatiga) como psicológicos (p. ej., ansiedad, deterioro cognitivo). Aquellos que experimentan estos síntomas lo llaman “COVID larga”.

(more…)

Behavioural theory

Bringing behaviour change techniques into practice: Making use of available tools

By Marta Moreira Marques, NOVA University of Lisbon, Portugal

Behaviour change techniques are the building blocks of behavior change interventions. Whether you are trying to help someone increase their physical activity, stop smoking or better adhere to a medication regimen, behavior change techniques are the tools you have at your disposal. Common behavior change techniques include things like goal-setting, self-monitoring, providing information about a behaviour and managing emotions.

(more…)

Communication

La comunicación eficaz del riesgo va más allá del cambio de comportamiento: hablemos de la evaluación personal del riesgo

Por Victoria Woof and David French, Manchester Centre for Health Psychology, University of Manchester, UK

Tradicionalmente, en medicina y psicología de la salud, los profesionales sanitarios han comunicado a los pacientes sus riesgos personalizados de enfermedad con el objetivo de prevenirla. Cuando la comunicación de riesgos facilita cambios en el comportamiento sanitario, puede reducir potencialmente el desarrollo de enfermedades y detectarlas en fases tratables. Por ejemplo, comunicar el riesgo de enfermedad cardiovascular para promover la práctica de ejercicio físico y la mejora de la dieta puede reducir el riesgo. Sin embargo, hay otros posibles objetivos y resultados a tener en cuenta a la hora de informar sobre el riesgo de enfermedad. Además, los objetivos de los profesionales sanitarios y los pacientes o el público en general no siempre coinciden. Se han identificado varios objetivos relacionados con la comunicación de riesgos, como facilitar la toma de decisiones informadas y producir respuestas afectivas adecuadas, así como motivar el cambio de comportamiento.

(more…)

Motivation, Planning, Stress

Mantenerse bien en el trabajo mediante el job crafting     

por Janne Kaltiainen and Jari Hakanen, Finnish Institute of Occupational Health, Finlandia

¿Qué partes de mi trabajo me resultan motivantes, atractivas y más beneficiosas para mi bienestar? ¿Qué puedo hacer para conseguir más de estas cosas en mi trabajo? 

Después de empezar a sentirse estresada, ligeramente aburrida y “estancada” en el trabajo, una enfermera con una larga carrera y gran experiencia profesional empezó a hacerse estas preguntas. Las respuestas a estas preguntas la llevaron a empezar a ser mentora de algunas de sus colegas más jóvenes, lo que la ayudó a sentirse más competente en su trabajo y más conectada con sus compañeros, y a encontrar de nuevo el sentido de sus rutinas diarias. Este pequeño cambio en la forma de hacer su trabajo mejoró su bienestar laboral y, lo que es más importante, no perjudicó el funcionamiento general ni la eficacia del hospital. Por el contrario, sus compañeros se sintieron más apoyados por esta tutoría y el ambiente general del trabajo mejoró.  

(more…)

Public Health, Stakeholders

Construyendo colaboración entre la investigación comportamental y la práctica para mejorar la salud. 

Por Katherine Brown, University of Hertfordshire, United Kingdom

El contenido de esta entrada del blog se ha extraído en parte de mis experiencias de trabajo entre una universidad y un departamento de salud pública del gobierno local, con la oportunidad de aplicar mis habilidades de investigación, desarrollo de intervenciones y evaluación en la práctica.

Tanto si se encargan, gestionan, diseñan o prestan servicios sanitarios, lo más probable es que haya al menos un comportamiento que los usuarios de los servicios deban cambiar para que el servicio logre sus objetivos. Esto se debe a que, independientemente de la(s) enfermedad(es) a la(s) que se dirija su servicio, o de si éstas son transmisibles (por ejemplo, gripe, Covid-19, tuberculosis, infecciones de transmisión sexual) o no transmisibles (por ejemplo, enfermedades del corazón, EPOC, diabetes tipo 2, obesidad), la forma en que las personas se comportan contribuye a la carga global de la enfermedad. Esto no quiere decir que haya que culpar a las personas de su mala salud y considerarlas únicas responsables de su propia salud y bienestar. Todo lo contrario. El estado de salud de una persona también es consecuencia de determinantes genéticos, biológicos, sociales y ambientales. Tener en cuenta estos factores es fundamental para mejorar y proteger la salud.

(more…)