Case #1: A close friend of yours, a very heavy smoker (two packs of cigarettes daily), isdiagnosed with high blood pressure and has a family history of cancer. In spite of this situation,he refuses to stop smoking, stating "It's my life, and I love to smoke." You believe that he doesnot comprehend the consequences of his habit and feel very strongly that he should quit.The Transtheoretical Model:According to the Transtheoretical Model (TTM), health behavior change occurs in sixstages: precontemplation, contemplation, preparation, action, maintenance, and termination.A person in the precontemplation stage is not thinking about modifying their behavior inthe near future. They are frequently either uninformed of or unconcerned about the implicationsof their actions. An individual in the contemplation stage is aware of the benefits and drawbacksof their conduct and is beginning to consider changing it. The person in the planning stage isready to act in the near future and has already begun to change their behavior. The individual isactively working to change their behavior at the action stage. When someone has effectivelymodified their behavior and is attempting to avoid relapse, they are in the maintenance stage.
