A SURVEY ON ‘PRACTISING HEALTHY LIFESTYLE’ BY BEHAVIOUR CHANGE COMMUNICATION THROUGH EMAIL

Abstract

CONTEXT: One of the most difficult tasks of behavioural scientist and health educator is changing individuals or group behaviour. It is even more difficult to help individuals or groups to maintain the behaviour once it is changed. The efforts of all health care professionals should be to educate the individuals/community as well as to socialize the concept of physically active life style through behaviour change communication. The new means of computer based communication system has opened vast capability of transfer of knowledge and made it possible to get into direct & instant communication across the world by means of internet. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The practice of healthy life style was studied among friends, relatives, colleagues and others through email by behaviour change communication. The material on Healthy Life Style was prepared based on scientific knowledge with included references and forwarded to 200 people through email. The feedback was requested in questionnaire form after 15 months of practising healthy life. Social mobilization is required through structured behavioural change communication specially enhancing awareness and promoting attitude towards positive health among target audience and viewers leading to modified behaviour. RESULTS: Observations were analysed by simple statistical method, 22% people responded after repeated follow-up thru email and telephone-calls. Of the respondents, 72% felt energetic, 45% reduced weight, 27.5% reduced lipid profile, 25% had less stress, 17.5% reduced alcohol, 12.5% reduced smoking and 10% had better sexual life. Most of the people i.e. 96% further spread this message to others. CONCLUSION: The internet is an impotent medium to teach healthy life style by behaviour change communication, though only about 22% responded but the results were quite encouraging.