Chapter 1. How’s Your Health?

Intro

How’s Your Health?
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Health psychologists use a variety of methods to conduct research and guide their clinical interventions. These methods include laboratory experiments, field studies, and questionnaire such as the one you are about to complete. An applied health psychologist might use this type of questionnaire to gather background information for use in planning an intervention to help a person struggling with stress-related hypertension. For instance, the person’s responses might reveal that there is room for improvement in his or her physical health, perhaps through nutritional counseling or advice on starting an exercise program. If the person reports having difficulty managing stress, he or she may benefit from a cognitive intervention aimed at correcting the tendency to overreact to everyday hassles. Questionnaires such as this one are, of course, only starting points for research and clinical interventions. Once a potential area of health in need of improvement has been identified, more detailed and specific information must be gathered.

Check your health

Lifestyle and habits questionnaire

You can use this questionnaire to broadly examine your lifestyle and habits with respect to each of the dimensions of health and related health concerns, such as exercise and fitness and accident prevention. Read each of the following items. Select the answer from the drop down menu that best corresponds to your honest response. Your scores will be tallied to each category. Use the guidelines that follow to interpret your scores.

Question 1.1

Health & Exercise

1. I am as physically fit as most people my age.

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2. I have good physical endurance.

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3. I spend much of my leisure time involved in physical activities like bicycling, hiking, swimming, gardening, or playing competitive sports.

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4. I participate in vigorous exercise like running, swimming, speed walking, or aerobics dance classes for at least 20 to 30 minutes a day and at least three times a week.

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5. I try to keep my body healthy and fit.

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6. I participate in muscle-strengthening exercise at least several times a week.

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Psychological Health

1. I am able to manage the stress in my life.

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2. I am able to relax and unwind.

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3. I am hopeful about the future.

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4. I have clear direction in life.

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5. I am able to concentrate on my work at school or on the job.

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6. I get at least 7–8 hours of sleep at night and wake up feeling rested and refreshed.

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7. I am able to assert myself in a responsible way and not allow others to take advantage of me.

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Substance Use

1. I avoid binge drinking (drinking five or more drinks in a sitting).

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2. I avoid using alcohol or other drugs to cope with problems or to make me feel more socially confident.

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3. I avoid drinking beer or wine, or if I do, I avoid drinking more than 1 or 2 glasses a day.

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4. I avoid drinking in situations in which it would be unsafe to drink.

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5. I avoid socializing with people who use illicit drugs or drink to excess.

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6. I avoid illicit drugs.

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7. I avoid smoking cigarettes.

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8. I avoid all other tobacco use, including pipe smoking, cigar smoking, and smokeless tobacco.

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Nutrition

1. I limit my intake of high-cholesterol foods such as eggs, liver, and meat.

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2. I eat food that is broiled or steamed, not fried or sautéed.

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3. I limit the amount of salt and sugar I consume.

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4. I eat five or more servings of fruits and vegetables daily.

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Environmental Concern

1. I make an effort to conserve water use and electricity.

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2. I keep informed about environmental issues such as the depletion of the ozone layer, the destruction of the rain forests, and acid rain.

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3. I participate in or contribute to environmental causes.

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4. I recycle paper, bottles, and aluminum cans.

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5. I make sure any refuse (garbage) I produce is properly disposed of.

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Social Concern

1. I am respectful of the feelings of others.

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2. I am the kind of person who is there for people when I am needed.

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3. I try to help people in need without expecting anything in return.

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4. I feel a need to make a difference in people’s lives.

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5. If I engage in sexual intimacy, I practice safe sex.

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Accident Prevention/Safety

1. I read and follow instructions for proper use of household cleaners, solvents, pesticides, and electrical devices.

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2. I obey traffic rules when driving.

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3. I avoid use of pesticide sprays in the house or yard, or if I do use them, I am careful to follow all safety instruction.

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4. I wear seatbelts whenever I drive a car or ride in a car.

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Sense of Purpose

1. I find meaning in my life.

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2. I believe every life has a purpose.

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3. I have a sense of connectedness to something larger than myself, whether it is organized religion, nature, or social causes.

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{true} setModel("q1", qqMC1)
{true} setModel("q2", qqMC2)
{true} setModel("q3", qqMC3)
{true} setModel("q4", qqMC4)
{true} setModel("q5", qqMC5)
{true} setModel("q6", qqMC6)
{true} setModel("q7", qqMC7)
{true} setModel("q8", qqMC8)
{true} setModel("q9", qqMC9)
{true} setModel("q10", qqMC10)
{true} setModel("q11", qqMC11)
{true} setModel("q12", qqMC12)
{true} setModel("q13", qqMC13)
{true} setModel("q14", qqMC14)
{true} setModel("q15", qqMC15)
{true} setModel("q16", qqMC16)
{true} setModel("q17", qqMC17)
{true} setModel("q18", qqMC18)
{true} setModel("q19", qqMC19)
{true} setModel("q20", qqMC20)
{true} setModel("q21", qqMC21)
{true} setModel("q22", qqMC22)
{true} setModel("q23", qqMC23)
{true} setModel("q24", qqMC24)
{true} setModel("q25", qqMC25)
{true} setModel("q26", qqMC26)
{true} setModel("q27", qqMC27)
{true} setModel("q28", qqMC28)
{true} setModel("q29", qqMC29)
{true} setModel("q30", qqMC30)
{true} setModel("q31", qqMC31)
{true} setModel("q32", qqMC32)
{true} setModel("q33", qqMC33)
{true} setModel("q34", qqMC34)
{true} setModel("q35", qqMC35)
{true} setModel("q36", qqMC36)
{true} setModel("q37", qqMC37)
{true} setModel("q38", qqMC38)
{true} setModel("q39", qqMC39)
{true} setModel("q40", qqMC40)
{true} setModel("q41", qqMC41)
{true} setModel("q42", qqMC42)
{true} setModel("healt_and_exercise", (1 + qqMC1) + (1 + qqMC2) + (1 + qqMC3) + (1 + qqMC4) + (1 + qqMC5) + (1 + qqMC6))
{true} setModel("psych_health", (1 + qqMC7) + (1 + qqMC8) + (1 + qqMC9) + (1 + qqMC10) + (1 + qqMC11) + (1 + qqMC12) + (1 + qqMC13))
{true} setModel("substance_use", (1 + qqMC14) + (1 + qqMC15) + (1 + qqMC16) + (1 + qqMC17) + (1 + qqMC18) + (1 + qqMC19) + (1 + qqMC20) + (1 + qqMC21))
{true} setModel("nutrition", (1 + qqMC22) + (1 + qqMC23) + (1 + qqMC24) + (1 + qqMC25))
{true} setModel("environmental_concern", (1 + qqMC26) + (1 + qqMC27) + (1 + qqMC28) + (1 + qqMC29) + (1 + qqMC30))
{true} setModel("social_concern", (1 + qqMC31) + (1 + qqMC32) + (1 + qqMC33) + (1 + qqMC34) + (1 + qqMC35))
{true} setModel("safety", (1 + qqMC36) + (1 + qqMC37) + (1 + qqMC38) + (1 + qqMC39))
{true} setModel("sense_of_purpose", (1 + qqMC40) + (1 + qqMC41) + (1 + qqMC42))

Your Score

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YOUR SCORE:

All your scores for each section:

Section Your Score
Health & Exercise

{model.healt_and_exercise}
Psychological Health

{model.psych_health}
Substance Use

{model.substance_use}
Nutrition

{model.nutrition}
Environmental Concern

{model.environmental_concern}
Social Concern

{model.social_concern}
Accident Prevention/Safety

{model.safety}
Sense of Purpose

{model.sense_of_purpose}

Interpreting Your Score

Take your score from each of the seven Lifestyle and Habits Questionnaire domains and find the corresponding range of scores provided for your sex (Male or Female) below. For example, if you are a male and your score was 22 for the Health and Exercise section, you would be in the "Middle Range" for the Health and Exercise row of the first table. The range categories (Bottom, Middle, & Top) were defined by splitting the normative sample data into thirds. Thus, the Bottom category represents the bottom 33% of scores while scores in the Top category represent scores reported in the upper 33% of the normative sample.

Males: Bottom, Middle, and Top Score Ranges (n = 139) Ages 18–25

Section Bottom Range Middle Range Top Range
Health & Exercise 19 or less 20 to 24 25 or higher
Psychological Health 24 or less 25 to 29 30 or higher
Substance Use 25 or less 26 to 33 34 or higher
Nutrition 9 or less 10 to 12 13 or higher
Environmental Concern 15 or less 16 to 18 19 or higher
Social Concern 19 or less 20 to 22 23 or higher
Accident Prevention/Safety 14 or less 15 to 18 19 or higher
Sense of Purpose 10 or less 11 to 13 14 or higher

Females: Bottom, Middle, and Top Score Ranges (n = 139) Ages 18–25

Section Bottom Range Middle Range Top Range
Health & Exercise 15 or less 16 to 21 22 or higher
Psychological Health1 23 or less 24 to 27 28 or higher
Substance Use 29 or less 30 to 35 36 or higher
Nutrition 10 or less 11 to 13 14 or higher
Environmental Concern 16 or less 17 to 20 21 or higher
Social Concern 19 or less 20 to 22 23 or higher
Accident Prevention/Safety 15 or less 16 to 17 18 or higher
Sense of Purpose1 11 or less 12 to 13 14 or higher

1 Hispanic Females on Psychological Health variable: Bottom Range 20 or less; Middle Range 21–24; Top Range 25–31

Top Range Scores - Congratulations! You appear to have adopted a healthy lifestyle with a minimum of health-compromising behaviors. Still, there may be room for improvement. What else can you do to optimize your health?

Middle Range Scores - Although you clearly have established some healthy habits, you have a great deal of room for improvement. Examine responses that are less than "strongly agree," especially those that are "disagree" or "strongly disagree." Consider ways of changing your health behavior to improve your score.

Bottom Range Scores - Based on these lifestyle factors, you appear to engage in far too many health-compromising behaviors. These behaviors could increase your risk of illness or accidents. What steps can you take to improve your score?

Improve Your Health

Improve Your Health:

What follows are ideas for improving your health in each area.

Health & Exercise
  • Decrease sedentary time each day by trying to avoid activities that involve being in front of a screen (television, computer, phone, etc.).
  • Try walking to places that do not require a car.
  • If you do not have safe outdoor space to exercise, turn on some music and dance or find a YouTube video with an exercise activity that interests you (e.g., kickboxing, yoga, or Pilates).
  • Try and get at least 30 minutes of moderate to vigorous activity 5 times a week. The recommendation is 150 minutes throughout the week.
Psychological Health
  • Utilize some of the relaxation techniques that are covered in the Coping Interventions section of your Health Psychology textbook.
  • Exercise.
  • Talk to a counselor.
  • Sleep at least 8 hours a night.
Substance Use
  • Limit use of substances and avoid drinking in unsafe situations
  • If you think substance abuse is a problem for you look for a Alchoholics Anonymous or Narcotics Anonymous meeting in your area or see a counselor.
Nutrition
  • Eat at least 2½ cups of fruits and veggies combined a day.
  • Eat more nonstarchy and green veggies (examples of starchy veggies are corn, peas, and potatoes).
  • Eat lean cuts of meats.
  • Eat less processed meats (e.g., deli meats).
  • Eat less meat and eat protein replacements, such as black beans or egg whites.
  • Drink less sugary beverages and drink more naturally infused water (e.g., mint and lemon water).
  • Eat less processed foods (i.e., avoid ready-to-eat foods).
Environmental Concern
  • Recycle more.
  • Drink less bottled water. Buy a water filter and drink from a reusable bottle instead.
  • Use fewer paper towels.
  • Use fewer plastic bags.
  • Use reusable grocery bags and reusable towels.
  • Dine-in more and eat out less.
Social Concern
  • Volunteer at a nonprofit organization that interests you (e.g., feeding the homeless, a children’s hospital, and tutoring).
Accident Prevention/Safety
  • Read and follow directions for household products.
  • Obey traffic rules when driving.
  • Avoid use of pesticide sprays.
  • Always wear your seatbelt.
Sense of Purpose
  • Explore possible meanings in life by talking to others and/or reading books on the subject.

Sources

Dinzeo, T. J., Thayasivam, U., & Sledjeski, E. M. (2014). The development of the lifestyle and habits questionnaire–Brief version: Relationship to quality of life and stress in college students. Prevention Science, 15(1), 103–114.