Biomedical subjects

W A Gebhardt

Publications and source records attributed to W A Gebhardt.

7 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2005

Medical care-seeking and health-risk behavior in patients with head and neck cancer: the role of health value, control beliefs and psychological distress.

Health behavior plays an important role in the development, detection and course of cancer of the head and neck. Relevant health behavior includes prompt medical care seeking, and smoking and drinking cessation after diagnosis. This study examines the relationship between these health behaviors and health value and control beliefs, as well as psychological distress. Two hundred and sixty-four recently diagnosed head and neck cancer patients were interviewed about their health behavior, and they filled in a questionnaire on health beliefs and psychological distress. The results showed that one-quarter (25%) of the patients had waited more than 3 months before seeking medical care, 50% had continued to smoke and 80% had continued to drink after the diagnosis. The patients, particularly those who smoked and drank before diagnosis, reported lower levels of health value and perceived health competence than a general population sample with which they were compared. Patients who engaged in patient delay reported a lack of perceived health competence. Psychological distress and lack of perceived health competence were found to be more common among patients who continued to smoke. The implications of these findings are discussed with regard to interventions aimed at promoting these specific health behaviors.

Aged↗

PubMed2001

The Revised Health Hardiness Inventory (RRHI-24): psychometric properties and relationship with self-reported health and health behavior in two Dutch samples.

Our objective was to examine the psychometric properties of a Dutch translation of the Health Hardiness Inventory (HHI), and to determine relationships between health hardiness scales and self-reported health and preventive health behavior. Data from a cross-sectional study with two samples [a general population sample (n = 205) and a student sample (n = 286)] were analyzed. The Revised Health Hardiness Inventory (RHHI-24) was found to consist of four stable and reliable scales: (1) Health Value, (2) Internal Health Locus of Control, (3) External Health Locus of Control and (4) Perceived Health Competence. Women valued their health more than men, older individuals (> 45 years) valued their health more than younger individuals (< or = 45 years) and elderly people (> 65 years) were more externally orientated with respect to health locus of control. Preventive health behavior was related to a higher value placed on health, a lower external health locus of control and a higher perceived health competence. Better self-reported health was related to a higher perceived health competence and a more internally orientated health locus of control. We conclude that the RHHI-24 is a theoretically sound instrument for the measurement of health cognitions.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1999

Measuring transitions through stages of exercise: application of latent transition analysis.

In this longitudinal study of 504 nursing staff members from seven Dutch nursing homes, which transitions in exercise behaviour had occurred over a 12-mo. period were investigated. For this purpose, latent transition analyses were employed. Latent transition analysis is an extension of Markov chain modelling and of Latent class analysis and has been especially developed to study dynamic latent variables. The data supported the notion that natural change in exercise occurs through various stages and that these are sequential in nature. Latent transition analysis was an effective method for the comparison of various models describing possible transitions over time and for estimation of the likelihood of the occurrence of such transitions.

Adult↗

PubMed1999

Conflicting activities for exercise.

190 nonexercisers foresaw regular exercise (> or = 3 times a week) as interfering with day-to-day activities. Most frequently mentioned were various social activities, doing household chores, and watching TV. The impediment of all activities, except watching TV, was expected to be at least rather bothersome. Interventions should focus on these particular barriers to action.

Adult↗

PubMed1998

Competing personal goals and exercise behaviour.

Research on the determinants of exercise behaviour has not assessed the role of personal goals which may be in conflict with exercising. A cross-sectional study showed that 312 nonexercisers, 466 people who exercised once or twice a week, and 202 people who exercised at the norm of at least three times a week differed significantly with respect to the number of important personal goals expected to be hampered by exercising at the norm. To be specific, the number of competing activities in the home was higher for the sedentary group than for those who exercised. Further, those who exercised at the norm reported fewer competing social activities than all other subjects and fewer competing self-developmental activities than the non-exercisers. Scores on the scale for activities outside the home did not differ significantly among the three groups. It is argued that any theoretical model of exercise behaviour should take into account the influence of competing personal goals on the initiation and continuation of exercise during leisure time.

Exercise↗

PubMed1994

Effectiveness of training to prevent job-related back pain: a meta-analysis.

Data from a meta-analysis, involving six experimental studies, revealed a modest relationship between training of employees and a decrease in the occurrence of back pain or sick leave associated with this disorder. The implications for prevention of job-related back pain, and future research within this field are discussed.

Back Pain↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Integrating social-psychological frameworks for health behavior research.

OBJECTIVE: To review the social-cognitive theories that have predominated in research on determinants of healthbehaviors. METHODS: Based on a literaturesearch,the theorieswere compared and critically analyzed. RESULTS: Although the theories are somewhat successful in predicting health behaviors, the social-cognitive perspective is restricted to a unidirectional, nondynamic view of behavioral change and neglects the fact that individuals may differ with respect to the life goals they pursue. CONCLUSION: Health behavior research should adopt a more integrative approach, including insights from stage and goal theories. The health behavior goal model is described as an example of such an approach.

Goals↗