Health Belief Model (HBM)

The Health Belief Model(HBM) is a tool that scientists use to try and predict health behaviours. It was originally developed in 1950s and adapted in 1980s. The model is based on the theory that a person's willingness to change their health behaviour is primary due to following factors

  1). Perceived Susceptibility:-

        People will not change their health behaviours unless they beleive that they are at risk.

  2). Perceived Severity:-

        The ability 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.

  

  3). Perceived Benefits:-

        It is difficult to convince people to change a behaviour if there is not something in it for them. People dont want to give up something they enjoy if they don't get something in return.

  4). 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. Changing your health behaviour can cost effort, money and time