ABSTRACT
It is now widely recognised that, by adopting a healthy lifestyle, people can actively contribute to their state of health (Taylor, 1991). In recent years, researchers have been concerned with identifying the factors that influence people's willingness to engage in health care behaviour (i.e., actions that promote well-being and help prevent disease). This research has been motivated by the realisation that knowledge of the determinants of health care behaviour has implications for the general understanding of health behaviour, as well as the development of intervention programs to encourage people to engage in health-promoting practices. In overall terms, research into the determinants of health care behaviour is significant both for the well-being of individuals and for the collective well-being of a community. The more willing and able people are to protect themselves from preventable illnesses, the more resources the community will have available to be channelled into other areas. Moreover, it can be assumed that, via the effects of modelling and normative influence, collective wellbeing will have a positive impact on future community health.
