Recap:

The relationship between SES, race and ethnicity is intimately intertwined. Research has shown that race and ethnicity in terms of stratification often determine a person’s socioeconomic status (U.S. Census Bureau, 2009). Furthermore, communities are often segregated by SES, race, and ethnicity. These communities commonly share characteristics: low economic development; poor health conditions; and low levels of educational attainment.  Low SES has consistently been implicated as a risk factor for many of these problems that plague communities.

• People from minority ethnic groups generally have poorer health than the rest of the population

• Ethnicity should not be confused with race, which is a different concept and of little analytical use

• Ethnicity is based on social, cultural and historical variations

• There are geographical health inequalities among minority ethnic groups, with London displaying the greatest disparities

• Research suggests that socioeconomic inequality is the key factor in the health disparities experienced by minority ethnic groups

1. Behavioural changes are never easy to achieve. It would be nearly impossible to do so if we do not learn a structured means to do so. 

2. The TTM provides a structure by getting us to look at the process of change in 5 stages: Precontemplation, Contemplation, Preparation, Action, Maintenance, Termination (theoretical endpoint that is almost never achieved). 

3. These stages enable us to help patients create a schedule of behaviour and allow us to see which "stage" they are in so that appropriate activities within these stages can be introduced. 

   1. For example, if the patient is in the Precontemplation estate, we may have to first get the patients to be aware or even think about change in order to shift them to the Contemplation stage where the first steps of actual change can occur. Alternatively, we may have to stop the engagement as the patients are simply not ready for any change to occur.