| Abstract [eng] |
Reasons: NCD reduce the working capacity of the population, shorten healthy life years, threaten the well-being of the individual and society as a whole, and the economic and social development of the country. Everyday public health behavioural choices have the greatest impact on the global epidemic of these diseases. Disease prevention has little effect on people’s daily behavioural choices. In order to drive change in the health behaviours of the population, it is important to apply effective prevention; to understand what influences public health behavioural choices the most; to reveal how these choices are affected by individuals' habits, experiences, and scientific evidence, and to apply them to disease prevention programs. The aim of the study: To reveal the importance, significance and influence of habits, experiences, and scientific evidence in choosing health behaviours. Objectives: 1. To review the aspects that determine the positive and negative choices of health behaviours. 2. To find out how important habits and experiences are to people in choosing everyday health behaviours. 3. To determine the significance of scientific evidence for human health behaviours and how they affect individuals' daily health-related behavioural choices. 4. To reveal how important their habits and experiences are to people and how important scientific evidence is when choosing health behaviours. Research methodology: A qualitative research method using a semi-structured interview was used. The study involved 11 participants. Qualitative content data analysis was applied to the data analysis method. Results and Conclusions: 1. Positive and negative sensory experiences are key determinants of human health behavioural choices. Another important determinant of health behaviour is habit. Health behaviour choices are determined by other additional determinants. Changing health behaviours is challenging, especially in the long run. 2. Habits are crucial in choosing and changing health behaviours. They encourage a recurring return to both negative and positive health behaviours. Habits are difficult to change. Pleasing health behaviours, whether positive or negative, become a habit, sometimes an addiction. People may not fully understand the importance of habits in their health behaviour choices. Experience is also crucial for health behaviours. It acts as a subjective way of getting to know health behaviours. Negative and positive health experiences can lead to positive health behaviour choices. However, this does not always affect the change in behaviour to a more favourable one. Personal experience is not always a reliable indicator because it is limited. 3. Scientific evidence is not very relevant to health behaviour. It can only have influence and be important when a person wants to change their own behaviour. 4. People's health choices are more influenced by their habits and experiences than by scientific evidence. Keywords: public attitudes, health behavior, healthy lifestyle, habits and experiences, science-based evidence. |
