Health belief model Flashcards
What is the health belief model
a tool that scientists use to try and predict health behaviours. Used in health promotion. Originally developed in the 1950s, updated in the 1980s.
Based on the theory that behavior change occurs with the existence of three ideas at the same time:
An individual realises that there is enough reason to make a health concern relevant, That person understands that he or she may be vulnerable to a disease or negative health outcome, The individual must realise that behaviour change can be beneficial and the benefits of that change will outweigh any costs
Perceived susceptibility
People will not change their health behaviours unless they believe they are at risk.
Those who do not think they are at risk of acquiring HIV form unprotected intercourse are unlikely to use a condom. Young people who don’t think they’re at risk of lung cancer are unlikely to stop smoking
Perceived severity
The probability that a person will change his/her health behaviours to avoid a consequence depends on how serious he or she considers the consequence to be.
If you are in love, you are unlikely to avoid kissing your sweetheart on the mouth just because he has the sniffles, and you might get his cold. On the other hand, you probably would stop kissing if it might give you Co-Vid 19. Similarly, people are less likely to consider condoms when they think STIs are a minor inconvenience. That’s why talk about safe sex increased during the AIDS epidemic. The received severity increased enormously.
Perceived benefits
It’s difficult to convince people to change a behavior if there isn’t something in it for them. People don’t want to give up something they enjoy if they don’t also get something in return.
Your father probably won’t stop smoking if he doesn’t think that doing so will improve his life in some way. A couple might not choose to practice safe sex, if they don’t see how it could make their sex life better.
Perceived barriers
One of the major reasons people don’t change their health behaviours is that they think that doing so is going to be hard. Sometimes it’s not just a matter of physical difficulty, but social difficulty as well. Changing your health behaviours can cost effort, money and time.
If everyone from your office goes out drinking on Fridays, it may be very difficult to cut down on your alcohol intake. If you think that condoms are a sign of distrust in a relationship, you may be hesitant to bring it up.
Self efficacy
An individual’s belief that they can carry out an action. A person believes that they can make a health related change. Thinking that you will fail will almost make certain that you do.
If the individual believes they are likely to get sick and if they get sick it will be quite serious, and they believe the intervention will work to prevent disease, and they believe they can overcome the barriers – then they will have increased self efficacy that they can go through with it!
Cuse to action
Cues to action are events, people, or things that trigger people to change behavior. Advice from others, the illness of a family member or social media can provide cues.
eg. make a calander appointment, email reminder from gp
