BEHAVIOURAL

AND

SOCIAL SCIENCES

Social environment is as important as the physical and biological

environment in relation to health and disease in man.

The term social environment denotes the complex of psychosocial factors

influencing the health of the individual and the community

INTRODUCTION:

SOCIAL SCIENCES:

5 SOCIAL SCIENCES INCLUDESOCIOLOGYCULTURAL ANTHROPOLOGYSOCIAL PSYCHOLOGYECONOMICSPOLITICAL SCIENCE

BEHAVIOURAL

SCIENCES

SOCIOLOGY:

IT IS THE SCIENCE CONCERNED WITH THE ORGANIZATION OF

STRUCTURE OF SOCIAL GROUPS.

It is the science of behavior of man in a society or group of

human beings. Society is a group of people who must be

mentally aware of each other.

Sociologists define society as “ a system of uses and

procedures of authority and mutual aid of many groups

coupled with division of control of human behavior and liberty”.

FUNCTIONAL ASPECTS OF SOCIETY:

A. Social norms

--- Folkways

# Mores

# Taboo

B. Customs and habits

C. Etiquettes and conventions

D. Social values

STRUCTURAL ASPECTS OF

SOCIETY:

------} Social institution

------} Community

------} Association

CULTURAL ANTHROPOLOGY:

Branches of cultural anthropology are;

-- ethnology

-- archeology

-- linguistics

-- social anthropology

SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY

ECONOMICS

POLITICAL SCIENCES

HEALTH BEHAVIOUR AND LIFE STYLE:“Any activity undertaken by an individual,

regardless of actual or perceived health status, for the purpose of promoting, protecting or maintaining health, whether or not such behavior is objectively effective towards that end”.

ILLNESS BEHAVIOR

LABELING BEHAVIOR

Factors influencing preventive behavior:

1} growth and development

2} family and peer influence

3} past medical and dental experiences

4} dental office environment

THEORIES OF BEHAVIOR CHANGE:

1.HEALTH BELIEF MODEL

2.MULTI DIMENSIONAL HEALTH LOCUS

OF CONTROL

3.STAGES OF CHANGE MODEL

BARRIERS TO ACHIEVING BEHAVIOR CHANGE:1. Lack of opportunity2.Lack of resources3.Lack of support4.Conflicting motives5.Long term nature of benefit6.Belief that change not possible7.No clearly defined goals8.Lack of knowledge on what to change

LIFE STYLE AND ORAL HEALTH:“Lifestyle is a way of living based on identifiable

patterns of behavior, which are determined by the interplay between an individual’s personal characteristics, social interactions, and socioeconomic and environmental living conditions”.Life style interventions must be based on the co operation and full participation of the individuals and groups concerned , since if they were dominated by professionals, they would not be health promotingEthical issues in life style in terventions:1. Privacy2. Anxiety3. Confidentiality4. Choices

Social stratification and oral health:

The common characteristics of social

groups are:

1.There is a sense of unity and belonging

2.They have a we-feeling and help each

other

3.They have common objectives and

interests

4.Each group ha sits own code of conduct

and behavior

5.Every member of the group is expected

to follow its norms

Types of groups:

The word ‘group’ may be defined as a gathering of two or more people who have a common interest.Groups can be classified as :1. Primary group2. Secondary group3. Reference groups

Groups can also be classified as:1. Formal group2. Informal group

Formal groups Informal groups

Well organized Not organized

Have a purpose or goal People come and go at will

Set memberships No membership or a feeling

of belonging

Have recognized leaders No special activity is

planned by the people

Have definite rules No rules apply

Have regular meetings There is no leader

Attention is paid for the

welfare of the members

There is more concern for

the self and less for those of

other people present

E.g.; dental association e.g. a gathering of patient at

a clinic

Socialization is a process which enables an individual to take part in group life and acquire many of the characteristics thought of as human. Socialization takes place within groupsTheoretical explanations of social inequalities in oral health:The black report ( Blane, 1985) considered 4 possible explanations for the existence of a gradient between health and social class.1. Artifact explanations2. The social selection explanation (or natural explanation)3. The materialist( or structuralist)4. Cultural (or behavioural ) explanations

Social science in dental public health:

When applied to a practical problem such as dental program planning, social science in effect adds a new dimension to the process of surveying and evaluation. The social scientist becomes necessary when we want to know why effort and effect do not match each other.Studies by behavioral scientists have resulted in the description of certain social classes and the reaction of each to dental care. They are,1. The upper middle class2. The lower middle class3. The upper lower class4. The lower class

Trithart in 1968 has summarized the attitudes of the under privileged people toward health care, in the following listing;

1. Contradiction of common sense

2. Coming in crowds

3. The last ditch effort

4. If it hurts, you are a quack

5. Unclean or dirty feeling

6. The clinic was built there, not here

7. Cold professional attitudes

8. Difference in pain threshold

9. Complication of the unknown

10.The pills don’t work

11.Appointments are not important

12.Teeth lost anyhow

13.Traditions

Risk behavior:

Risk behaviors are specific forms of behavior which are proven to be associated with increased susceptibility to a specific disease or ill heath

Risk factor:Risk factors are social, economic or biological status, behaviors or environments which are associated with or cause increased susceptibility to a specific disease, ill health , or injury

Harmful dental health behaviors:

1. Alcohol use

2. Smoking

3. Nutrition

4. Drug use

Utilization of dental services:

Utilization is the actual attendance by members of the

public at health care facilities to receive care.

The factors which influence an individual to utilize a health

service are,

1. Individual must feel susceptible to the disease

2. Individual must feel that the disease is potentially

serious in its effects in regard to him

3. Individual must feel that a course of action that will

prevent or alleviate the disease is available to him

Need for dental care:

The different types of need for dental care are,

a)Normative need

b)Felt need

c)Expressed need

The four different approaches to estimating need are,

1.Surveys of dental health status

2.Surveys of need for dental care using questionnaires

3.Analyses of service or treatment records

Physiologic needs : hunger, thirst, fear.

Security: need 4 shelter and employment.

Social needs: need to be loved.

Esteem : need to personal worth, competency

and skills.

Self-actualization: need

to realize one.

Hierarchy of Needs

Factors affecting utilization:

1.Age

2.Sex

3.Education

4.Socio- economic status

5.Occupation

6.Residence

7.Socio- cultural factors

8.Organizational factors

9.Cost of health services

Behavior of the child in the dental office:

Psychodynamic theories

a)Classical psychoanalytical theory by sigmund

freud

b)Developmental tasks theory by erik erikson

Behavior learning theories

1.Classical conditioning theory by ivan pavlov

2.Operant conditioning theory by b.f. skinner

3.Theory of cognitive development by jean piaget

4.Social learning theory by albert bandura

According to this the reinforcements are considered to be facilitative rather than being associated with learning.

Behavior is largely motivated by social needs

SOCIAL LEARNING

ALBERT BANDURA (1963)

Behavior management is as much an art form, as it is a

science.

Communicative management is used universally for both the

cooperative and uncooperative child.

The specific techniques associated with this process are:

1. Voice control

2. Non verbal communication

3. Tell show do

4. Modelling

5. Positive reinforcement

6. Systematic desensitization

7. Distraction

8. Parental presence or absence

9. HOME { Hand over mouth exercise}

Observational learning

Or

modeling