Question

Ms. Thomas age 46, works as an RN in the intensive care unit at a large busy medical center. Over the last three years she has gained 30 lbs and quit attending the fitness classes at the local recreation center. Her co-workers keep trying to get her to come back to fitness class, but she says that she is too tired after work and just wants to go home. She has smoked for 15 years, but says that she is trying to cut back on the number of cigarettes each day because she watched her mother die from emphysema. She has picked up some literature from Employee Health on smoking cessation . She was recently diagnosed with hypertension.

1. Using the health belief model, identify the modifying factors impacting g Ms. Thom's likelihood of taking a preventive health action.

2. Which primary intervention activités are important for Ms. Thom?

3. Using the transtheroetica lmodel of change, in which stage is Ms. Thom most likely related to her smoking? Explain your answer.

Answer 1

According to the Health Belief Model, several factors impact whether Ms. Thomas will take preventive health actions. Important primary intervention activities for her include educational programs and supportive resources.

Step-by-step explanation:

1. According to the health belief model, there are several modifying factors impacting Ms. Thomas' likelihood of taking a preventive health action. These include:

• Perceived susceptibility: Ms. Thomas may not perceive herself as being at risk for negative health outcomes related to her weight gain and smoking habits.
• Perceived severity: Ms. Thomas may not fully understand the serious consequences of her weight gain, smoking, and hypertension.
• Perceived barriers: Ms. Thomas identifies tiredness after work as a barrier to attending fitness classes and may perceive quitting smoking as challenging.
• Perceived benefits: Ms. Thomas may not see the benefits of engaging in preventive health actions, such as weight loss or smoking cessation.
• Cues to action: Ms. Thomas picking up literature on smoking cessation could indicate a potential cue to action.

2. The primary intervention activities that are important for Ms. Thomas include:

• Educational programs: These can help increase Ms. Thomas' understanding of the negative health effects of smoking and the benefits of quitting. They can also provide information on healthy weight management strategies.
• Supportive resources: Providing Ms. Thomas with resources such as fitness classes or support groups can help her overcome perceived barriers and increase her likelihood of engaging in preventive health actions.

3. Based on the Transtheoretical Model of Change, Ms. Thomas is most likely in the contemplation stage related to her smoking. This means she is aware of the need to quit smoking and is considering taking action in the future, but has not yet made a firm commitment to do so.