Previous studies have shown that five representative behaviors affect the health of adults in everyday life : smoking, drinking, exercise, nutrition, and stress. This study focuses on these five behaviors in an attempt not only to develop a program that promotes health, but also to suggest ways that such a program may be implemented to reflect diverse lifestyles. Our aim is to show how individual subjectivity influences behavior when making lifestyle choices that affect health. By analyzing individual characteristics, we tried to group people according to their common attitude and behaviors to promote health. We hope that this study may provide the fundamental data which may be used to assist professionals in promoting healthy behaviors among adults.
In order to examine how subjectivity(e.g. personal opinions or attitudes) influences behavior, we prepared Q-statements which were composed of Q-samples for the study of human subjectivity. We polled forty-two adults and then analyzed the results using a PC qunal program. As a result, the respondents were classed according to six different types.
Type One includes people who think managing stress is the most effective way to live a healthy life. They regard smoking and drinking as harmful behaviors. Type Two subjects, on the other hand, regard smoking and drinking as a matter of taste with few harmful effects. Although they recognize the importance of managing stress, they have a positive attitude towards smoking and regard nutrition as a minor factor in promoting their healthy lifestyle. Those classed as Type Three emphasize the necessity of exercise. They perceive drinking, smoking, and stress as harmful. People in this category seek to increase physical strength and to regulate all five health behaviors by keeping them in a normal range. Type Four consists of people who are indifferent to their health. While they seem to recognize the importance of regular exercise, they pay little attention to nutrition or to the harmful effects of smoking, drinking, and stress. They believe that exercise alone is sufficient to maintain their health.
Type Five subjects believe drinking is not a harmful behavior at all. Rather, it has a positive effect on their mental health. They are characterized by this positive attitude towards drinking as well as by indifference toward nutrition (although they readily admit that good nutrition is important).
Finally, those classed as Type Six have a positive attitude toward moderate drinking as a means to relieve stress. However, they also recognize the harmful effects of excessive drinking. They regard good nutrition as an important lifestyle choice but are indifferent toward exercise. This type is engaged in passive health management.
This study devised six types or categories that reflect different attitudes toward promoting health in everyday life. It further went on to analyze the characteristics of each type. This study shows that programs designed to promote health must be modified to reflect the diversity of individual attitudes and patterns of behaviors.
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