Health and Human Behaviour (3rd Edition):

Abstract

The book is helpfully divided into four key sections: firstly, the foundations of health and behaviour. This section provides a good juxtaposition between illness and disease on one hand with health and well-being on the other. The major theorists of child and adolescent development are reviewed. The second section focuses on healthy and risky behaviour whilst the third section deals with the psychophysiological aspects of health and explores the vitally important role of emotion in health and illness. The final, fourth, section discusses the external factors affecting health and behaviour. This focuses on the premise that beliefs, attitudes and behaviour cannot explain everything. The impact of so-called ‘social agents’ must be considered and these are family, friends, communities, organizations, cultures, governments and so on. Case studies are used to good effect throughout as are ‘pause and reflect’ questions.