Reactions to health education among men

Author(s): Lund, A. B., Kok, G.

Journal/Book: Health Educ Res. 1996; 11: Walton St, Journals Dept, Oxford, England OX2 6DP. Oxford Univ Press United Kingdom. 107-115.

Abstract: User response to written health education materials has been relatively under-researched, The present study aims to provide some illumination of consumer reactions to health information in the context of education concerned with the prevention of coronary heart disease, The study is based on in-depth, qualitative interviews with 21 Danish men 40 years of age who were selected from the Danish National Birth Register of inhabitants of the municipalities of Aarhus and Vejle, The men were interviewed about their attitudes to health education and how they were able to use the information provided in their everyday lives, Interviews were based on the Grounded Theory approach, The interviewees displayed six main reactions to the health advice they received: avoidance, self-reproach, dismissal, decision to continue with their unhealthy behaviour, confirmation of behaviour they had already adopted and motivation to undertake behaviour change, These reactions were consistent with the tenets of Prochaska and DiClemente's Transtheoretical model, It is concluded that health educators must not have unrealistic expectations about the effectiveness of written materials, and should take account of different kinds and stages of readiness to act in their client groups.

Note: Article LK Meillier, Aarhus Univ, Dept Epidemiol & Social Med, Bldg 2C, Norrebrogade 44, DK-8000 Aarhus, Denmark

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