Looking after themselves: health protective behaviour among British working class women

1 July 1986

journal article
Published by Oxford University Press (OUP) in Health Education Research

Vol. 1 (2) , 111-119
https://doi.org/10.1093/her/1.2.111

Abstract

Data are presented on the responses given to the direct question ‘what are the three most important things you do to protect your health?’ from a sample of 204 British working class women. (This approach replicates an earlier American study which developed the concept of ‘Health Protective Behaviour’.) Only 44% of the British working class women actually reported three behaviours, suggesting that positive health maintenance was an unfamiliar concept. However, there was considerable agreement between the two samples in the behaviours mentioned: food and nutrition were the most popular, followed by exercise and physical activity, and sleep, rest and relaxation. The usefulness of the concept and the validity of this strategy are discussed and the implications for health education and further research considered.

Keywords

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