ECLECTIC INCENTIVES FOR HEALTH PROTECTIVE BEHAVIOR - AN ADDITIONAL PERSPECTIVE ON HEALTH ORIENTED BEHAVIOR-CHANGE

A study carried out among a representative sample of Jewish Israeli adults (N = 1150) attempted to further the understanding of the factors involved in inducing healthy individuals to engage fin health protective behavior. A theoretically justified and empirically supported framework has been developed suggesting a typology of health protective behavior types. The typology suggested a distinction among types of behavior according to the type of effort needed to engage in each. Consequently, the likelihood of engaging in each type of behavior differs according to both the type of stimulus and 'enabling' factors. The salience of a certain area of life may serve as a stimulus-salience of health being only one of the possible stimuli and not necessarily relevant for all types of behavior. Control of 'resources' and a consequent coping capacity constitute 'enabling' factors-factors that may differ according to the type of behavior. Conclusions regarding the implications for a health education approach are derived from the data. © 1991 Oxford University Press.