HEALTH BEHAVIOR: THE PROBLEM OF THE NOTION IN SOCIOLOGY

Abstract

The article analyzes the concept of "health behavior" in the domestic social science. Drawing attention to the phenomenon of self-preservation behavior is associated with the increasing role of behavioral factors in determining individual and population health. It is shown that the phenomenon of self-preservation in relation to individuals, social groups and society, as a whole, has attracted the attention of researchers at all stages of development of sociological thought. A meaningful analysis of the definitions of self-preservation behavior proposed by modern Russian sociologists is given. The concept of "self-destructive behavior" is considered and preconditions of research of interest to destructive forms of individual behavior in health are identified. It is shown that the consideration of self-destructive behavior should be based on objective conditions and social risks that have a significant impact on the health of the population. The conclusion is made about the expansion of the semantic content of the concept of "self-preserving behavior" and the need for an interdisciplinary approach designed to expand the heuristic possibilities of sociology in the study of this social phenomenon.