Deck 13: Application of Theory:high-Risk and Special Populations

Question 1

What is a generative approach?

Answer 1

The generative approach focuses on the context and the integration of factors, including the ways risk behaving people organize their actions. The focus is on the working with organizing process and structures through which an individual generates behavior over the time period.
This includes the health behavior and the implication of it on the health related issues. The following figure describes the general generative approach to handle high risk population:
This approach assumes that human process is to make meaning out of what people do. People do things according to their motives and socio-cultural environment. All these expectations shape the model of how things are supposed to be. The model created in the mind about the situations and the reactions to those situations help in generation of the behavior.
In such cases, the social and cultural influences along with the personal knowledge are processed by the mind to decide the behavior to certain situations related to the health. These behaviors are dependent on the gender, class status, life path and past of the individual. For example, people thinking that life is short and not bothering about health risks too much, the risk behavior among such people would be higher.

Question 2

How do the approaches discussed in this chapter use the kinds of health behavior theories reviewed in this text?

Answer 2

Different theories are used to deal with high risk health behavior. The fundamental theory used to explain the high risk behavior and the importance of attention required to be given to high risk population is ecological theory. Certain populations of society are more vulnerable to high risk health problems. The high risk may be at certain stage of life or for a short duration.
Two theories of health behavior are used to describe the approaches required for the health promotion program. Health belief model and theory of planned behavior view health behavior as the result of individual decision-making processes or attitudes that address health-related issues.
The risk and protective factors theory is used for explaining the risk factors and the interaction between the risk factors and protective factors leading to the health behavior. According to risk and protective factors theory, risk factors are exposures and features pertaining to the individuals that are claimed to be precursors or predictors of high risk health behavior.
The basis of the harm reduction approach is that the many high risk people have multiple problems and difficult circumstances in their lives, and they may not be able to change all of these things at least in the short run.
This approach focuses on the context and the integration of factors, including the ways risk behaving people organize their actions. The focus is on the working with organizing process and structures through which an individual generates behavior over the time period.

Question 3

Why should we be concerned with context when trying to understand and address highrisk behavior?

Answer 3

The whole of the society is at some risk for health problems, but certain populations are more vulnerable and have high risk associated with the health problems. This high risk may occur at the certain stage of life or for a short duration.
Society is more concerned while addressing the high-risk behavior as it is found associated with various serious issues and diseases, which can directly affect the well-being of the society. Certain people are at high risk for many reasons, which are given as follows:
1. Exposure to hazardous condition at workplace or in their living environment.
2. Limited access to healthcare or prevention information.
3. Involvement in behavior or practices those are particularly risky for example, unsafe sex with multiple partners.
4. Involvement in illegal or marginalized activities such as sex trade.
For example, youth involved in drug abuse, tobacco abuse, early sexual activity and other behaviors are at high risk for health problems like HIV or AIDS (human immunodeficiency virus or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome), sexually transmitted diseases, delinquency, and violence.
Injection drug abusers are at higher risk for HIV or AIDS. This risk behavior is viewed as abnormal health behavior in the context of the health. It is found that the high-risk health behavior relates to the circumstances, which contribute or shape the risk factor. Some of the examples are given as follows:
1. Migrant workers might struggle to have good health care access if they do not know the English language.
2. Youth from the criminal background are at high risk for drug abuse and sexually transmitted diseases.

Question 4

What is meant by "risk factors for high-risk behavior"? What is meant by the "integration" of such factors?

Question 5

What is a harm reduction approach?