Handbook of Concepts in Health, Health Behavior and Environmental Health

All individuals have to deal with health and illness.  Their health behavior can directly impact their health outcomes. Engaging in healthy behaviors reduces the risk of certain conditions, while unhealthy behaviors can increase that risk. Health behaviors encompass overt behavioral patterns, actions, and habits that relate to maintaining, restoring, and improving health (Gochman, 1997: 3). This definition includes various behaviors such as diet, alcohol use, smoking, physical activity, sexual behaviors, medication adherence, screening, and vaccination. Examining health behaviors in both healthy and health-compromised populations is a crucial area where public health has made significant contributions to improving people's well-being. Health literacy is closely related to health behavior and refers to a complex network of knowledge and skills that empower individuals to educate themselves and be educated (Nutbeam, 2008; Sørensen et al., 2012). Nutbeam (2008: 2072) defines health literacy as "the extent to which individuals have the capacity to access, process, and understand basic health information and services needed to make appropriate health decisions." Individuals with limited health literacy often struggle to navigate the healthcare system, especially when it comes to accessing preventive care, screenings, diagnoses, and treatments. McCaffery et al. (2010) argue that low health literacy occurs when a person's literacy and numeracy skills do not align with the often technical, complex, and unfamiliar information provided by healthcare professionals and organizations. To improve people's health behavior, health promotion is necessary. Health promotion is the process by which individuals increase control over and enhance their health (WHO, 1986). Numerous health promotion programs and interventions have been developed to improve the health and well-being of individuals and groups. These interventions aim to shift the focus of healthcare from hospitals to community-based settings (Baxter et al., 2018).