Health Belief Model (HBM)
Weitz pgs. 40-41
http://www.utwente.nl/cw/theorieenoverzicht/Theory%20clusters/Health%20C
ommunication/Health_Belief_Model.doc/
Examples http://www.etr.org/recapp/theories/hbm/Resources.htm
Orientation
Social Psychological
Developed by social psychologists
Hochbaum, Rosenstock and Kegels
1950's
Application
Developed in U.S. Public Health System
Original Purpose: Explaining compliance, or lack
thereof, in TB screening program
Adaptations: Many, especially popular with
sexual risk,HIV/AIDS
Core Assumptions
• 1) individual will act if he/she feels that a
negative health condition can be avoided.
• 2) individual expects that the recommended
action will enable him or her avoid the
negative health condition.
• 3) individuals thinks that he/she can
successfully take the recommended action
(self-efficacy).
Key Elements
• Perceived Susceptibility
• Perceived Severity
• Perceived Benefits
• Perceived Barriers
• Cues to Action
• Self-Efficacy
Perceived Susceptibility
Q: How likely am I to get this condition?
Am I part of a population(s) at risk?
Is my own behavior risky?
YES: I believe I can get pregnant or get an STD
because I’m sexually active.
NO: No, that won’t happen to me. We’re
careful and we’re monogamous.
Perceived Severity
Q: Is getting pregnant bad? How serious and
treatable are STDs?
• YES: If I get pregnant, it will ruin all my life plans.
And if I get a STD, it could be really bad. It would
be embarrassing to go to the doctors and to tell
my parents. Some STDs could make me infertile
or even kill me.
• NO: It wouldn’t be so bad if I got pregnant. Lots
of girls do and if I get a STD, they can give me
some pills at the clinic. It’s not that big of a deal.
Perceived Benefits
Q. Will using birth control reduce my risk of
getting pregnant or of getting a STD?
YES: If I use birth control, I’m less likely to get
pregnant, especially if I use the pill. I’d have to
use a condom too to protect against STDs.
NO: Birth control doesn’t always work. Condoms
break and sometimes the pill doesn’t work.
Perceived Barriers
Q: I think I’d feel OK using the pill, but I don’t know
about condoms.
YES: I can use the pill and I guess I could get used to
using a condom if my boyfriend was OK about it.
NO: I don’t know if I can get the pills without my
parents finding out I’m having sex and my
boyfriend doesn’t like condoms.
Cues to Action
Q. How can I get the pills without my parents
knowing I’m having sex and where can I get
condoms?
YES: The clinic at school has a poster that says I
can go there to get pills and condoms.
NO: I don’t know who to ask. I can’t ask my
family doctor because she’ll probably tell my
folks.
Self-Efficacy
Q: Can I do this?
YES: I can get the pills and the condoms at the clinic
and I don’t want to get a STD and I really don’t
want to get pregnant so my boyfriend is just
going to have to go with the new plan.
NO: Even if I could get the pills, which I don’t really
know about, I can’t get my boyfriend to use a
condom. So, whatever….
Health Lifestyle Theory Factors
How might class, age, sex, ethnicity, sexual
orientation, disability status, etc. affect…
• Perceived Susceptibility
• Perceived Severity
• Perceived Benefits
• Perceived Barriers
• Cues to Action
• Self-Efficacy
Health Lifestyle Theory Factors
How might cultural memberships, such as
religious, social, and political affiliations affect…
• Perceived Susceptibility
• Perceived Severity
• Perceived Benefits
• Perceived Barriers
• Cues to Action
• Self-Efficacy
Health Lifestyle Theory Factors
How might living conditions , such as housing,
food, neighborhood safety, etc. affect…
• Perceived Susceptibility
• Perceived Severity
• Perceived Benefits
• Perceived Barriers
• Cues to Action
• Self-Efficacy
Health Lifestyle Theory Factors
How might socialization and life experiences
affect…
• Perceived Susceptibility
• Perceived Severity
• Perceived Benefits
• Perceived Barriers
• Cues to Action
• Self-Efficacy
Health Lifestyle Theory Factors
How might other healthy and unhealthy
lifestyle factors affect….
• Perceived Susceptibility
• Perceived Severity
• Perceived Benefits
• Perceived Barriers
• Cues to Action
• Self-Efficacy
Social Stress
Status:
A position occupied in a social institution.
Role:
The expected behaviors associated with a status.
Role Conflict:
Conflicting role expectations associated with two or
more statuses.
Role Strain:
Conflicting role expectations within a single status.
Social Stress
How might acute or chronic role strain and
role conflict affect…
• Perceived Susceptibility
• Perceived Severity
• Perceived Benefits
• Perceived Barriers
• Cues to Action
• Self-Efficacy