Health education-communication approaches in health examinations for risk behavior modification

Although periodic health examination has been one of the most common practices of preventive medicine, its effect on modification of risk behavior has been seldom assessed. Thus, this study attempted to demonstrate the influence of a health examination on modification of cardiovascular disease related health risk behaviors such as smoking, physical inactivity, and obesity. Data of 893 adults were derived from two types of a popular and highly acclaimed health examination program. With a conceptual model constructed using Persuasive Communication variables, McNemar tests examined Source-Outcome association, hypothesizing that different health examination programs would yield different levels of behavior change in smoking, physical inactivity, and obesity. No significant behavior change was found in any of the two health examination programs. Instead, previously established Receiver-Outcome relationship was reconfirmed by logistic regression modeling where gender was the most prominent predictor of all three behaviors. Men were more likely to be current smokers (OR=0.029), exercisers (OR=2.629), and obese (OR=0.237). The importance of followups after health examination is highly stressed as well as that of gender-specific health education strategies. This study recommends applying the social-ecological approaches in health examination, which emphasizes the support and collaboration at individual, family, organizations, community, and policy level to improve health. Long term and qualitative evaluation of health examination may provide more foundation for increasing the effectiveness of health education and communication in health examinations.