Review

Five models, no muddle

PREDICTING HEALTH BEHAVIOUR
Connor M, Norman P (eds)
Open University Press, 1995, £14.99

This book presents five of the most widely used social cognition models — health belief; health locus of control; protection motivation theory; theory of planned behaviour and health behaviours; and self-efficacy and health behaviours — and their use in predicting health behaviour.

Each model has its own chapter, which is logically structured, with the general background to the model followed by its description. A summary of research relating to each model and other additional developments are outlined. The final two sections in each chapter cover use of the model in practice, one or more examples of its application to a health behaviour issue from a wide range of issues such as smoking, alcohol, sexual behaviour, diet, exercise, and potential directions for its use or development. By using a similar format for each model, comparison between them is easy.

Health behaviour and its implications for health outcomes are discussed in chapter one, which also contains examples of social, emotional, and cognitive factors, how these relate to an individual’s health behaviour and how they have given rise to a series of social cognition models. The final chapter provides an overview of the five models, their interrelationships, their effectiveness in explaining health behaviour, and future directions for research.

The editors have done well to provide a clearly structured overview of these key social cognition models, and the book will prove helpful for health promoters and others working in the field of health behaviour.