BRIDGING BEHAVIORAL
CHANGE AND DISEASE PREVENTION
It is often said that the world
is changing and as such the inhabitants. However, the point I think should be
stressed is that man’s expectations in life, disposition to issues, response to
setbacks and yearning for discovery has changed over the years and this had
affected his world. Therefore, man is the variable factor and the effect of his
variability is now reflected on his world.
The fluidity of this generation and the desire to get all things done at
the snap of the finger has lured us into breaking health frontiers without
knowing. Man’s ignorance of the limit of
his ability and over-exploitation of his constitutional make-up has opened up a
floodgate of diseases for which he lacks economic, scientific, emotional and
spiritual reserves to deal with. The upsurge of new diseases coupled with old
ones changing form and character which was conceptualized as Emerging and Re-emerging
disease is now a menace to man’s survival.
In elementary science “a matter
will continue in its state of REST or UNIFORM MOTION unless acted upon by a
force”. Sadly, the “motion” of Emerging and Re-emerging of diseases has started
and unless a suitable and sustainable “force” is put in place by people and
community at least to slow down the progression and if possible halt it, we may
continue to have Ebola outbreaks, Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS),
Double burden of disease and Environmental and Climatic Emergencies. The good
news however, is that Disease Prevention offers a safe haven! The ideals of
disease prevention are simple and practicable in most settings provided the
principles are well understood. What then is Disease Prevention? What are the
ideals?
Disease Prevention can be defined
as actions aimed at eradicating, eliminating or minimizing of disease and
disability and if none of these are feasible, retard the progress of disease
and disability. The concept of disease prevention is gaining more prominence
now than ever before because man is becoming increasingly aware that he cannot
keep pace with the rate at which new diseases are springing up and old diseases
becoming more lethal. Dr Chan (DG World Health Organization) said recently
that, public health must shift its focus from cure to prevention, from short
term to long term. Why spend fortune to cure a disease (which in itself cannot
guarantee cure) when it is possible to prevent it? How then do we prevent
disease?
Disease prevention don’t exist in
isolation, like most concept it requires a medium through which its values can
be communicated, learnt and implemented, this is what Health Information and
Behavioral change represents. Health Information simply deals with acquisition
facts concerning a disease condition while Behavioral change involves application
of these facts in the prevention of disease. Behavior change may involve lifestyle
modification such as smoking, drunk driving, unprotected sexual intercourse,
exercising, feeding etc. Health Information is of little account and
significance without a corresponding Behavior change. Therefore, Health
Information couple with Behavioral change is the necessary bridge to Disease prevention!
Consider
this for example:
“Smoking
cigarette causes lung cancer”- Health
fact/Information
“Staying in company of smokers even if you don’t smoke also put at risk of lung cancer”- More fact
The behavior change to avoid lung cancer is to quit smoking and stop hanging around smokers if you don’t smoke. Lagos State (South-West, Nigeria) has even gone a step further by banning smoking in public places. All these are geared towards preventing lung cancer and other respiratory disease in the population by enforcing a behavior change.
Again:
“Cervical cancer is caused by Human papilloma virus HPV”- Health fact/Information
“People with multiple sexual partners are at risk of contracting and transmitting the virus”- More fact
The behavioral change dimension to this involves; restricting yourself sexually to a single uninfected partner, going for screening test (pap smears) against cervical cancer once you are sexually active and getting children especially girls between 10-12years immunized against HPV. Behavioral change is applicable to other non-communicable disease like hypertension, diabetes and other health-related events like climate change.
We need not remind ourselves of
notable people that have departed from diseases which are amenable to
behavioral adjustment. The time to begin is now, delay might be dangerous.
Unhealthy lifestyle has a way of provoking a ripple effect. Let us live but
live right, eat but eat healthy, change but positively!
