HEALTH BELIEF MODEL

Deblina Roy M.SC Nursing 1st year K.G.M.U. Institute of Nursing

Model• Model is a theoretical way of understanding concept or

idea.

•Health Beliefs:• These are person’s Ideas, convictions, attitudes about

health and illness.

History of the HBM

• Developed in the 50’s by the U.S. Public Health Service

• Social psychologists were asked to explain why people do not participate in health behaviors (Rosenstock, 1960; 1966)

• Developed based on operant and cognitive-behavioral theory

Premise of the Health Belief Model

• Individuals will take action to ward off, to screen for, or to control an ill health condition if:• 1) they regard themselves as susceptible to the condition• 2) they believe it to have potentially serious

consequences• 3) they believe a course of action can reduce the

susceptibility and seriousness• 4) they believe the costs of the action are outweighed by

its benefits

Components of the HBM

• Perceived Susceptibility• an individual’s perception of her or his risk of contracting a health

condition

• Perceived Severity• an individual’s perception of the seriousness of a health condition if

left untreated

• Note: the combination of these is the perceived threat of the health condition (emotive response is fear)

Components of the HBM• Perceived Benefits

• the perceived effectiveness of taking action to improve a health condition

• Perceived Barriers • the perceived impediments to taking action to improve a health

condition

Components of the HBM

•Cues to Action• Body or environmental events that trigger the HBM

Additional Components? • Self-Efficacy

• confidence to continue the healthy behavior and overcome temptations

Where Do We Intervene?

• Educate about threat (vulnerability, susceptibility)• Fear appraisals

• Educate about coping (response efficacy, self-efficacy)• Health education

Evaluating the HBM• APPLICABILITY TO PRACTICE (IS IT USEFUL?)

• Coping efficacy is the most important component• Self-efficacy (and perceived barriers) is the most influential

component for health behavior

• Perceived severity is the weakest component• Health behaviors are long-term?

• Perceived vulnerability often influences intentions but not behavior

Evaluating the HBM

• COMPREHENSIVE (Does it explain behavior completely?)

• No

• What about other motives for behavior other than health? These motives appear untapped for explaining behavior.

Application Exercise

• Please choose a health behavior and population

• Assume you are an specialist contracted to develop a persuasive communication (poster, news advertisement etc.) to improve the health behavior for the population

• Create a message that includes severity, susceptibility, response efficacy, and self-efficacy for the target population

Questions?

Bibliography• Potter P.A,Perry A.F,Stokert P.A,Hall A.M.Fundamentals of

nursing. 3rd Ed;Elsevier,Noida( India);2013.p03-05• Klenpell RM. Advanced nursing practice ,3rd ed ;Sprigers

Publishing Company, New York;2013.p13• Polit DF, Beck CT. Nursing research:Principles and

methods. 7th ed. Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; 2007

• Black JM, Hawks JH, Keene AM. Medical surgical nursing. 6th ed. Philadelphia: Elsevier Mosby; 2006.

Thank You