Behavioral Strategies Flashcards

A patient consistently resists dietary changes despite agreeing in appointments. This pattern is best understood as which concept in behavioral science?

Answer: Intention-behavior gap

The intention-behavior gap describes the common disconnect between stated intentions and actual behavior, often due to environmental or emotional barriers.

In motivational interviewing, when a patient begins to verbalize reasons for making a change on their own, this is referred to as:

Answer: Change talk

Change talk is patient-generated language expressing desire, ability, reason, or commitment to change, and is a key predictor of behavior change.

Which environmental modification strategy is most effective for improving dietary behavior in patients with diabetes?

Answer: Restructuring the home food environment to make healthier options more accessible

Environmental restructuring—such as keeping vegetables cut and at eye level—reduces reliance on willpower by making the healthy choice the easy choice.

A diabetes educator notices a patient avoids discussing hypoglycemia experiences. The most likely behavioral explanation is:

Answer: The patient may have hypoglycemia-related anxiety or fear of judgment

Fear of hypoglycemia is a recognized psychological barrier that leads to avoidance behaviors, including under-reporting episodes to healthcare providers.

Relapse prevention in diabetes behavioral education primarily involves teaching patients to:

Answer: Recognize high-risk situations and develop plans to recover quickly after setbacks

Relapse prevention focuses on identifying triggers and building recovery plans so patients view setbacks as learning opportunities rather than failures.

Which behavioral strategy is most appropriate for a patient who is in the maintenance stage of the Transtheoretical Model?

Answer: Provide relapse prevention strategies and reinforce self-efficacy

Patients in maintenance have already changed their behavior and need strategies to sustain it and prevent relapse over the long term.

A patient with diabetes who recently immigrated to the US is having difficulty adhering to dietary recommendations. The educator's most culturally competent approach is to:

Answer: Explore the patient's traditional foods and collaboratively adapt recommendations to fit their culture

Culturally tailored dietary guidance that incorporates familiar foods improves adherence by respecting the patient's identity and reducing the burden of change.