PDHPE Notes for Half Yearly Exam

Resource Description

Abstract from Notes;

3.1.2 Old life style approach – individual lifestyle approach

Definition: Concentrated on health education persuade individuals to modify behaviours that impacted on health this had promotion had limitations.

This approach takes a medical view emphasising public illness rather than public health. It assumes that the provision of relevant information (morbidity and mortality rates) will encourage people to change their attitudes and behaviours. The view of public health is based on epidemiology data that show the majority of premature deaths from lifestyle-related diseases can be attributed to lifestyle factors such as smoking, poor diet, physical inactivity and stress.

Limitations of an individual lifestyle approach:

• It does not account for the social context in which the individual lives. It pays very little regard to the social, economic and environmental factors that have an impact of health.
• It assumes that improved knowledge about health issues can change individual behaviours.
• It is based on the premise that behaviour change is solely the responsibility of the individual
• It assumes that all individuals are able to change their behaviours.
• It gives power to medical experts to decide what is best for the community and does not give individuals and communities a voice in the determination of health priorities.