Introduction
Changing people’s health-related behavior could have a great impact on some of the frequent causes of death and diseases amongst the communities. There is a need for the utilization of preventive measures as well as primary care services that provide solutions relating to people’s health. It is highly noted by medical practitioners that good health requires tremendous changes in behaviors based on social, economic, and environmental contexts. An individual’s behavior plays an important role in overall health since different patterns of behavior are associated with people’s social environment and cultural influence (Davidson et al, 2003).
Socio-behavioral Intervention
Several interventions have been initiated to change individual, family, community, or group behaviors. This is because discoveries made on such interventions show that they have great potential for altering disease patterns. There are some patterns which at times prove difficult to alter like genetic predisposition to diseases. However, people’s behaviors seem easy to change when all the right processes, theories, and principles are taken into account. The principles of health intervention should be based on good planning, delivery, and evaluation processes (Davidson et al, 2003).
Policy and legislation could be used to influence behavior change; this could work through the creation of awareness, law enforcement, and provision of legislative directives concerning people’s decisions on their behaviors. The legislation forms a simple powerful tool that could be used effectively at individual, family, and community levels. Disadvantages associated with policy and legislative intervention include criminalization, compensation as well as lack of enough support from the public (WHO, 2005). In addition, several forms could be used at different levels to promote behavior change, these include; the use of technologies, resources, and education.
Training on psychological needs is one of the intervention methods which is based on generic competencies and skills and not on specific models. The psychological models should show the relationship between knowledge, attitude as well as behaviors. Such form of intervention falls under education which encompasses individual advice, group teachings, and to some extent campaigns based on media. Another intervention involves the use of technologies such as child-proof containers used for toxic products and breathalyzers. Then there is the use of resources such as free therapy, leisure centers as well as distribution of protective devices.
Limitations
Limitations on these health intervention attempts are that they have not always led to mass improvements on the level of health required within the targeted population. This is because different groups of people based on gender, age or ethnicity have different responses towards the prescribed intervention method (Backett and Davidson, 1995, pp 629-638). Socio-economic factors may also act as one of the limitations since people are of different classes. Their responses vary depending on cultural values which configure individuals to certain forms of behavior. This proves that none of the health intervention methods could be applied universally since they do not have uniform effects on various population groups within certain societal settings (Altman, 1995, pp 226-233).
Conclusion
All the processes are undertaken to bring about behavior change at different levels within the society apply a variety of means and techniques. These interventions result in different reactions towards the outcome which might be of effect to individuals, the community, or the whole population. Therefore, it is of equal importance for those involved in the planning for health intervention measures to give a clear picture of the behaviors which require change and any associated contextual changes that require adjustment as well as the level of intervention.
References
Altman, D.G. (1995). Strategies for Community Health Intervention: promises, Paradoxes. Pitfalls. Psychosomatic Medicine, (57), 226-33.
Backett, K.C., & Davidson, C. (1995). Life Course and lifestyle: the Social and Cultural Location of Health behaviors. Soc Sci Med, (40), 629-38.
Davidson, K., Goldstein, M., & Kaplan, R. M. (2003) Evidence-based behavioral Medicine: what it is and how do we achieve it? Annals of Behavioral Medicine (26), 161–71.
WHO, (2005). Seventh Futures Forum on unpopular decisions in Public Health. Regional Office for Europe. Web.