Virtually every woman can expect to experience at least one chronic illness or disorder in her lifetime, and the incidence of chronic health problems increases with age. By age 55 years, more than 80% of women experience at least one chronic health problem. Major attention to and support for women’s health research has only emerged
Self-efficacy is the centerpiece of a theory of human agency developed by psychologist Albert Bandura of Stanford University. In his 1997 book, Self-Efficacy: The Exercise of Control, Bandura defined self-efficacy as consisting of “beliefs in one’s capabilities to organize and execute the courses of action required to produce given attainments” (p. 3). Very simply, self-efficacy
Self-regulation refers to the processes by which individuals control or direct their thoughts, emotions, and actions to achieve their goals. According to self-regulation theory, behavior is guided by a motivational system of setting goals, developing and enacting strategies to achieve those goals, evaluating progress, and revising goals and actions accordingly. Increasingly, self-regulation models are being
Socioeconomic status (SES), traditionally assessed by income, education, and occupation, reflects individuals’ material and social resources. Various theories of social stratification emphasize different aspects of SES and suggest different types of measurement. However, virtually all measures of SES are related to morbidity and mortality, suggesting that SES is a pervasive and robust influence on health.
Introduction Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) are an underrecognized public health concern among sexually active youth and adults in the United States. Among the major STDs, HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) poses the greatest threat to public health, having caused nearly 500,000 deaths in the United States and more than 20 million deaths worldwide since the beginning
Introduction Health psychologists are concerned with the effects that psychological states and processes have on health and disease. Credible scientific enquiry into these connections began with Dunbar and Alexander, both of whom proposed that specific psychological factors caused or predisposed individuals to specific diseases, giving rise to the theory of specificity. Engel subsequently described the
The term psychotherapy refers to the use of psychological (as opposed to physical) treatments to improve physical and mental health by relieving symptoms, helping patients manage or adjust to stressors, decreasing distress, and enhancing well-being. To some practitioners psychotherapy is a science; to others it is more of an art form. An abiding belief in
Public health refers to those activities by which a society attempts to increase life expectancy, decrease morbidity, and help improve health-related quality of life. A distinction is sometimes made between clinical or high-risk approaches to disease treatment and prevention versus population-based strategies. Although there is some utility in distinguishing between these approaches, they should be
Health is probably the most valued human asset. In fact, studies on the preference for different states of being show that virtually everyone rates health as most important. Despite the perceived importance of health, health status has remained difficult to define. There are two common themes in definitions of health. First, premature death is undesirable
Psychophysiology, a discipline that traces its roots back to ancient Greek society, is one of several scientific disciplines that examine relations between mind and body. Psychophysiology has traditionally been defined as any research in which the dependent variable is a physiological measure and the independent (or predictor) variable is a behavioral one. Studies examining how