Social Stress and Health Behaviour

1
Social Stress and Health Behaviour
2
Definition of Stress and Conceptual Refinement

• Broad understanding of stress and its
  definition...
• Dates back to the time of Hippocrates and his
  Humoural theories.
• Models of Social Stress

3
Stressors

• Social factors, processes and forces at work
  which create stress as an experience.
• All human behaviour is shaped by larger social
  forces.
• Varying types of Stressors
• Life events
• Chronic strains

4
Mediators of Stress Coping and Social Support

• Mediators in Sociological thought
• Coping techniques
• Social Support
• How does social support affect health?

5
Stress and other Determinants

• Social class- exposure and vulnerability
  hypothesis
• Race
• Gender
• Gender and work

6
Health behaviours

• Describing health behaviours
• Four components /dimensions to health behaviour
  (Alonzo)
• Prevention
• Detection
• Promotion
• Protection

7
Explaining Health Behaviours

• The Macro Approach
• The Micro Approach