Case Study On Health Psychology

Q1 Discuss the psycho-social nature of eating behaviour and how psychological models can be used to effectively promote healthy eating behavior.

Unhealthy eating behaviors and the adoption of a sedentary lifestyle is a critical challenge for public health. Adhering to such negative behaviors can lead to the development of chronic conditions and obesity in adolescents. Food choices and eating behavior are influenced by several determinants which include biological factors such as appetite and hunger, economic factors such as accessibility and income, physical elements such as education, awareness and skills in addition to social aspects which include the influence of family and peers. Moreover, eating behaviors are also marked by psychological determinants which consist of stress factors, mood and the beliefs and attitudes that an individual has towards food (Jensen, 2012).

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This indicates that the establishment of individuals’ food choices and eating patterns is rather complex especially because these behaviors may also change as one goes through different stages of their life (Maher et al., 2014). Therefore, it is not possible to apply a generic model or type of intervention to address unhealthy eating behaviors in a specific group or population.

The purpose of this paper is to critically assess the psychosocial patterns and nature of eating behavior. Accordingly, the discussion also focuses on examining how various psychological frameworks can be used in an effective manner to encourage the adoption of healthy eating behavior.

Psychosocial Nature of Eating Behavior

Psychosocial correlates of healthy eating behavior may vary between children and adolescents. A study conducted by McClain et al. (2009), examined psychosocial factors which influence the consumption of healthy foods such as fruit and vegetables. The research indicated that factors such as knowledge about the benefits of fruits and vegetable consumption, intention to eat healthy, perceived modeling and norms were positively linked with the consumption of food and vegetables.

The concept of norms with reference to the social determinants of eating behavior is rooted in the social context. Social influences can impact the food intake of the individual in a director or indirect manner. An example of a direct influence on eating behavior is when a person buys a specific brand of organic food after hearing good reviews about the product from their friend. An instance of an indirect influence is when roommates who are living together adopt eating behavior from one another as it transfers into their subconscious.

The concept of social support is also linked with the societal norms. Research indicates that having a supportive social network can have a positive influence on dietary changes and consumption of healthy foods. The social support may emerge from various networks including those within the household, at school or at the workplace (McKinley and Wright, 2014).

One of the ways in which social support improves health promotion is by developing a sense of group identity and belonging which enables people to become more conscious of their decisions to maintain their status within the group (McClain et al., 2009).

Research indicates that the home environment is a key driver towards the development of food choices because the encouragement of family members and close friends can help an individual in adopting and maintaining a change in their food habits. Socializing with family members and peers who have knowledge about the benefits of healthy dietary habits can enhance a person’s commitment towards (McClain et al., 2009).

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A critical analysis of the literature on the psychosocial factors which influence eating behavior indicates that factors such as preferences, attitudes social norms and dietary intentions have a significant positive relationship with the dietary patterns and eating behavior of adolescents and children (Thompson et al., 2008).

Another study conducted on a sample size of children found that children’s consumption of food and vegetables as well as fat a significantly associated with the dietary intake of their parents. This analysis highlights the strong influence of modeling as being one of the key psychosocial factors influencing eating behaviors in children (McClain et al., 2009).

A research conducted by Ferranti et al. (2013) on a sample of 640 working adults who had no health conditions found that greater levels of social support played a critical role in improving the dietary quality of the sample. The research also highlighted the importance of social class on dictating eating patterns as married respondents who belong to a higher income level consumed more fruits and vegetables. Being married was identified as an indicator of a greater degree of social support. Even though there is literature which validates the concept that there is a positive link between education and income and healthy eating behavior (McClain et al., 2009), there is still an opportunity for this population to improve its nutritional intake.

It is also important to highlight the significance of cultural influences and traditions on patterns of eating behavior. Cultural aspects not only define habitual consumption but also act as a guideline for following certain food restrictions. However, cultural influences are more fluid especially in a multicultural and globalized environment where people are more open-minded towards adopting the dietary patterns which prevail in the local culture.

Accordingly, stress is a prevalent aspect of today’s life which has the potential to change eating behaviors and food choices. However, the impact of stress varies from person to person as some individuals consume more food in order to counter stress whereas others may resort to eating less when going through a stressful time.

Changes in mood or mood swings also depict the cycle social nature of eating behavior. Compared to men women generally experience more food cravings, which are also exhibited during the pre-menstrual stage wherein their consumption of food increases (Hallam et al., 2016).

Eating behavior is also driven by attitudes and perceptions of consumers. A research conducted in Europe found that consumers rated freshness or food quality as the top-rated factor which influenced their eating behavior followed by price, taste, the intention to consume healthy food and family influence. However, the eating behaviors of consumers in the United States were also driven by additional factors such as convenience and their personal perceptions about their weight (Gregori et al., 2014).

Nonetheless, it should be noted the consumers belonging to Europe, Australia and America have a positive perception about their eating behaviors and dietary habits which has led to the emergence of what is known as an ‘optimistic bias’ (Miles and Scaife, 2003). As consumers continue to believe that their eating behaviors are healthy in nature, this may cause them to disregard the need to adopt positive eating behaviors as they continue to adhere to the same dietary patterns.

Psychological Models to Promote Healthy Eating Behavior

Psychological literature has been continuously evolving and developing through the integration of evidence-based research. The psychological frameworks are applicable to the challenges related to public health which includes the adoption of healthy eating behavior.

The social cognitive theory stands as one of the most influential frameworks describing health behavior patterns and changes. This theoretical framework is linked with the social learning theory which suggests that individuals learn behavior through the process of modeling which takes place by watching others. Whether this behavior is reinforced and adopted in the long run is decided by internal and external forces as well as positive and negative stimuli. The social cognitive theory suggests that positive modifications in behavior are driven by cognitive and biological factors in addition to the prevailing elements in the physical and social environment. The framework operates on the principles of a feedback loop whereby the impact of each of these elements is continuous (Linke, Robinson and Pekmezi, 2014).

The confidence or self-efficacy belief to introduce positive change in one’s life shares a strong relationship with healthy behaviors. The level of self-efficacy can be promoted through various mechanisms such as verbal persuasion and social modeling. However, research indicates that obtaining mastery experience by successfully adhering to a positive health behavior modification is the strongest driver of confidence and self-efficacy.

Secondly, modeling takes place when an individual observes relatable peers and members in the social circle engage in positive behaviors such as healthy eating. Self-efficacy believes can be further boosted by the adoption of self-regulation techniques which help improve a person’s confidence and inspire them to continue with the specific behavior.

An example of how this psychological model can be applied in a more practical sense is that of collecting information through tools such as fitness apps and meals or nutritional trackers which can help check a person’s engagement with positive eating behaviors. Based on this idea the psychological model can be transformed into an online intervention whereby participants may be encouraged to enter information about their daily dietary and nutritional intake. Enabling self-regulation through this portal will help advance the user’s mastery experience and the integration of various rewards for achieving these eating behavior objectives can serve as a source of reinforcement.

Another psychological model which can be applied to effectively encourage the adoption of healthy eating behaviors is known as the transtheoretical model. The framework essentially describes five distinct phases of bringing about behavior change. In the first phase which is known as pre-contemplation, an individual is present at a stage where they are not considering a modification in their behavior. The second stage which is known as contemplation takes place when a person starts to think about the possibility of modifying their behavior. In the third stage which is known as preparation the person consciously starts to make incremental changes in their lifestyle, while in the fourth phase which is termed as action, the individual begins to adopt the healthy behavior whereas the last stage which is termed as maintenance takes place when the healthy behavior is followed for a period of more than 6 months.

The transtheoretical model stipulates that a single uniform intervention is not effective to drive healthy eating behavior in individuals because every person has a different level of motivation and readiness. Therefore, the model states that a suitable intervention should be based on the stage of the change process.

For example, in the case of promoting healthy eating behaviors, this psychological model can be applied on individuals who seek to move from the first phase to the second phase by raising awareness about the importance of healthy eating and developing their understanding about the physical and emotional consequences of maintaining unhealthy eating habits. The transtheoretical theory can be applied to develop a healthy eating behavior intervention by assessing the respondents’ readiness to adopt the change and the degree of confidence which they have in the lifestyle change. Based on the information extracted from this analysis, tailored interventions can be executed to help individuals in achieving their designated objectives. For instance, individuals who are at the action stage may be encouraged to sustain their adherence to healthy eating behaviors by developing a diet chart which provides information such as daily dietary intake number of calories to help achieve weight maintenance goals.

As noted previously the intention to adopt healthy eating behaviors is one of the drivers towards achieving a sustained change. This aspect is further explored in the theory of planned behavior which notes that the presence of a positive attitude towards healthy eating behaviors can facilitate the adoption of that behavior (Barker and Swift, 2009). This theory further reiterates the importance of raising awareness about adopting a healthy eating lifestyle in a bid to develop a strong intention which will lead to the establishment of a positive attitude towards the behavior. This theory also states that individuals’ perception about the extent to which they control the behavior can also improve their performance. This indicates that it is imperative to empower people when it comes to their food choices as it further promotes their intention to sustain the healthy eating behavior. An important implication of this model is that forceful messaging and shaming people for their lifestyle choices is not the right strategy to encourage the adoption of healthy eating behaviors. The framework indicates that it is important to empower people through knowledge and awareness of healthy eating and offering avenues to engage in a gradual transition towards healthy food choices.

Apart from biological aspects, the nature of eating behaviors is significantly rooted in psychosocial factors which prevail in the external and external environment. Thus, it is important to have a comprehensive understanding of how these elements influence eating behaviors to establish effective and customized frameworks which can address this critical public health challenge in the long-term.

References

Barker, M., & Swift, J. A. (2009). The application of psychological theory to nutrition behaviour change: Workshop on ‘Changing nutrition behaviour to improve maternal and fetal health’. Proceedings of the Nutrition Society, 68(2), 205-209.

Ferranti, E. P., Dunbar, S. B., Higgins, M., Dai, J., Ziegler, T. R., Frediani, J. K., … & Brigham, K. L. (2013). Psychosocial factors associated with diet quality in a working adult population. Research in nursing & health, 36(3), 242-256.

Gregori, D., Ballali, S., Vögele, C., Gafare, C. E., Stefanini, G., & Widhalm, K. (2014). Evaluating food front-of-pack labelling: a pan-European survey on consumers’ attitudes toward food labelling. International journal of food sciences and nutrition, 65(2), 177-186.

Hallam, J., Boswell, R. G., DeVito, E. E., & Kober, H. (2016). Focus: sex and gender health: gender-related differences in food craving and obesity. The Yale journal of biology and medicine, 89(2), 161.

Jensen, S. A. (2012). Factors Influencing Consumer Food Choices: Exploring Individual and Environmental Influences with Qualitative and Quantitative Approaches. University of California, Davis.

Linke, S. E., Robinson, C. J., & Pekmezi, D. (2014). Applying psychological theories to promote healthy lifestyles. American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine, 8(1), 4-14.

Maher, C. A., Lewis, L. K., Ferrar, K., Marshall, S., De Bourdeaudhuij, I., & Vandelanotte, C. (2014). Are health behavior change interventions that use online social networks effective? A systematic review. Journal of medical Internet research, 16(2), e40.

McClain, A. D., Chappuis, C., Nguyen-Rodriguez, S. T., Yaroch, A. L., & Spruijt-Metz, D. (2009). Psychosocial correlates of eating behavior in children and adolescents: a review. International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, 6(1), 54.

McKinley, C. J., & Wright, P. J. (2014). Informational social support and online health information seeking: Examining the association between factors contributing to healthy eating behavior. Computers in Human Behavior, 37, 107-116.

Miles, S., & Scaife, V. (2003). Optimistic bias and food. Nutrition research reviews, 16(1), 3-19.

Thompson, V. J., Bachman, C., Watson, K., Baranowski, T., & Cullen, K. W. (2008). Measures of self-efficacy and norms for low-fat milk consumption are reliable and related to beverage consumption among 5th graders at school lunch. Public health nutrition, 11(4), 421-426.