The 5 A’s model is used to conceptualize brief interventions across a variety of behaviors implemented by a variety of health professionals.
The 5 A’s model is used to conceptualize brief interventions across a variety of behaviors implemented by a variety of health professionals. Use this model to assess the physical activity behavior of the individuals in the case scenarios below.
Ask involves asking the client about health behaviors and risks and the factors that impact their decision to change as well as the goals and methods applied to such changes.
Advise involves giving the client clear, specific behavior change advice, including information about the health risks of not changing and benefits of implementing change. Within the 5 A’s model, advice has been shown to be most effective when it is linked directly to the reason for which the person has sought care. For example, if a client came to a practitioner because they were concerned about their risk for cardiovascular disease, the practitioner may recommend the kinds of exercise that have been shown to lower cardiovascular risk (e.g., moderate and vigorous physical activity).
Agree or assess willingness to change refers to the collaborative process by which the health professional and client work together to determine whether the client wants to change and, if so, identify behavior change goals and strategies based on the client’s interest and willingness to change the target behavior. By including the fifth “A” for “agree,” this model directly supports autonomy because it is naturally aligned with engaging the client in the development of a plan and exploring and acknowledging client ambivalence.
Assist is the process by which the healthcare professional helps the patient to achieve the agreed-upon behavior change goals by obtaining the needed skills, confidence, and social or environmental supports. Assist directly supports clients’ needs for competence.
Arrange involves the healthcare professional working with the client to establish a schedule for follow-up contacts to provide ongoing support and adjust the treatment plan as needed. Multiple visits and unconditional support over time can be useful to motivating long-term change such as establishing a healthy pattern of physical activity. However, there is also the risk that the client perceives these visits (which will ultimately end) as an external source of reinforcement and motivation, which could undermine the development of more internal reasons to sustain new behaviors.
Instructions: Using the 5 A’s model from above, provide 2-3 examples of questions, statements, or approachesthat align with each “A” from the model on how you would change physical activity behavior provided in these scenario’s and help theseclients. Also, provide your rationale as to why you chose a specific approach. Your answers and rational should make sense based on the information contained in the scenarios.
Scenario 1
Your client is a 45-year-old married woman with two children; she is a computer programmer. She was a college athlete and was physically active during young adulthood but hasn’t been active over the past 10 years. She has gained some weight (current BMI = 28), and she is struggling with negative body image. She is worried about becoming obese and getting diabetes as both run in her family. She has come to your fitness facility to get a plan for being more active and losing weight.
Scenario 2
Your client is a 58-year-old married man who is a long-haul truck driver. He recently had a heart attack, and becoming more physically active is part of his cardiac rehabilitation. Although he was active in sports throughout high school, he has not been physically active much at all as an adult. His recent heart attack seems to have gotten his attention, though. He has come to your rehabilitation facility to get a plan for being more active and losing weight.
Answer preview to The 5 A’s model is used to conceptualize brief interventions across a variety of behaviors implemented by a variety of health professionals.
APA
729 words
