2.3 Investigate barriers to change

This guide will help you answer 2.3 Investigate barriers to change.

Health promotion aims to improve wellbeing by encouraging healthy lifestyles and preventing illness. It can involve campaigns, advice, education and support to help people make positive changes. Change can mean stopping a behaviour that harms health or starting one that benefits it. Examples include quitting smoking, increasing exercise, improving diet or attending health screening.

Despite the benefits, people may face a range of barriers that stop them from making lasting changes. These barriers can be personal, social, cultural, economic or related to the wider environment. Some barriers exist in a person’s mind, while others come from outside influences. Understanding these barriers is key to giving the right support and increasing the chances of success.

Personal Barriers

Personal barriers are linked to an individual’s own feelings, knowledge, beliefs and habits. These can be some of the hardest to overcome because they are often deeply rooted.

Lack of Motivation

A person may know that a change would help their health but still feel no drive to act. This might be because they do not see the benefits as strong enough, or the risks as high enough, to make the effort.

Low Self-Efficacy

Self-efficacy means belief in one’s ability to carry out a task. If someone feels they cannot succeed, they are less likely to try. An overweight person may feel they cannot lose weight because they have tried before and failed.

Fear of Failure

Some people avoid change because they fear being judged if they fail. They may also feel embarrassed about needing help.

Habit and Routine

Long-term habits are hard to break. A smoker may find it difficult to imagine starting the day without a cigarette. Change feels like it is disturbing a familiar and comfortable routine.

Limited Knowledge

Some people do not have accurate information about the health risks of certain behaviours. They might believe myths or misunderstand facts, which leads to poor decisions.

Social Barriers

Social influences can have a big impact on health behaviour. These come from family, friends, workplace culture or the wider community.

Peer Pressure

Friends or family might encourage unhealthy behaviours. A group that regularly drinks alcohol together may make it harder for someone to reduce their intake.

Lack of Support

Without encouragement and practical help, change can be much harder. A person trying to exercise more might stop if no one offers to join them or cheer them on.

Family Responsibilities

Caring for children or elderly relatives can take time and energy, leaving less focus for personal health changes.

Workplace Demands

Jobs with long hours, high stress or low flexibility can make it harder to plan healthy meals, exercise or attend medical appointments.

Cultural and Religious Barriers

Culture and religion can affect health beliefs and behaviours. These influences are not always negative but they can, at times, work against change.

Cultural Food Practices

Certain diets are central to cultural traditions. Changing eating habits might feel like losing an important part of identity.

Beliefs About Illness

Some cultural or religious groups may believe illness is caused by spiritual factors. They might prefer traditional remedies to medical advice.

Role Expectations

In some cultures, women or men may have roles that limit free time or access to certain activities, affecting their ability to make changes.

Economic Barriers

Money and resources can make a big difference to a person’s ability to adopt healthier habits.

Cost of Healthy Food

Fresh produce and lean meat can be more expensive than processed or fast food. This makes healthy eating difficult for those with limited income.

Gym and Exercise Costs

Joining a fitness club, sports team or buying equipment can be costly, leading some to give up on the idea before starting.

Access to Healthcare

Appointments, medications and treatments can have fees or transport costs that place them out of reach for some people.

Housing and Environment

Poor housing conditions, overcrowding or unsafe areas may limit options for exercise and increase stress levels.

Psychological and Emotional Barriers

Mental health plays a major role in health behaviour. Stress, anxiety or depression can make change feel impossible.

Stress and Coping Mechanisms

Some people use unhealthy behaviours to cope with stress. For example, smoking or drinking to relax after a difficult day.

Low Mood

Depression can reduce motivation and energy, affecting the ability to plan or stick to change.

Trauma

Past experiences can affect a person’s relationship with food, alcohol or exercise. Making changes might feel emotionally challenging or trigger old memories.

Environmental Barriers

The surrounding environment can either support or block healthy living.

Lack of Safe Spaces

If there are no parks or well-lit areas, walking or jogging may not feel safe.

Limited Services

In rural areas, there may be fewer health services, gyms or support groups.

Transport Problems

Without access to reliable transport, reaching healthy food shops, health appointments or exercise facilities can be difficult.

Access to Information and Education

Health promotion depends on people having the right information. When this is missing, changes are harder to make.

Low Health Literacy

Health literacy is the ability to find, understand and use health information. Without it, people can struggle to make informed decisions.

Language Barriers

If health messages are not in a person’s first language, they may not understand the advice or how to follow it.

Confusing or Conflicting Advice

Different sources may give different recommendations. This can leave a person unsure about what to believe or do.

Behavioural Addiction Barriers

Some behaviours that harm health can become addictive. This makes them stronger barriers to change.

Nicotine Addiction

Nicotine changes brain chemistry and creates physical dependence, making quitting very hard.

Alcohol and Drug Addiction

Substances can create both physical and psychological dependence. This may require specialist help rather than self-change.

Food Addiction

Some people develop unhealthy relationships with high sugar and high fat foods, making dietary change difficult.

Organisational Barriers

Sometimes the way health services are organised can stop people from engaging fully.

Appointment Availability

Long waiting times or inconvenient appointment hours can discourage attendance.

Lack of Follow-up

Without regular follow-up contact, people may lose motivation or feel unsupported.

Staff Attitude

If healthcare staff seem rushed, dismissive or judgemental, service users may avoid returning.

Overcoming Barriers

Once barriers are understood, strategies can be put in place to reduce them.

Building Motivation

Setting clear and realistic goals
Celebrating small successes
Linking changes to personal values

Providing Education

Using plain language in health messages
Offering information in multiple formats and languages
Addressing myths with clear facts

Improving Access

Providing free or low-cost exercise options
Offering healthy food at affordable prices
Delivering mobile health services in rural areas

Strengthening Support

Encouraging peer groups and buddy systems
Involving family members in health plans
Offering counselling or emotional support

Adjusting the Environment

Creating safe walking routes
Adding community exercise programmes
Increasing availability of healthy food outlets

Role of the Health and Social Care Worker

Workers have a key role in spotting barriers and helping people find ways to get past them. This can include:

Listening without judgement
Asking open questions to discover hidden challenges
Offering practical solutions
Linking people to community resources
Following up to keep them engaged

Workers can also act as advocates, raising concerns with organisations or local authorities where environmental or organisational barriers exist.

Final Thoughts

Barriers to change in health promotion are varied and complex. They can be visible, like a lack of money or safe spaces, or hidden, such as low confidence or fear of failure. One person may face several at once, making progress feel harder.

As a health and social care worker, recognising these barriers is only the first step. The greater challenge is to work alongside the person to reduce or remove them. This might mean giving information, building confidence, changing the environment or involving support networks. Every small step towards removing a barrier increases the chance that a person will make and maintain positive changes to their health.