Health behaviours entail actions in which the individual seeks to predict, prevent or distinguish an illness (Stanislav & Sidney, 1966). Examples of health behaviours are actions such as dieting, taking medicines and quitting smoking. Past psychological enquiry has introduced numerous stage or phase models in which individuals alter their health behaviours. These theories have been implicated in understanding and providing a framework for the motivations that lead to health behaviour changes. Implication of the models can be subdivided at the individual and societal level as implied by Stretcher, Irwin and Rosentock (1997). Individual level interventions can serve to raise engagement of healthy behaviours in the individual, whilst at societal
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The hereby document seeks to critically evaluate the Health Belief Model to explain health behaviours and its motivational factors. The appraisal of this model will be done by comparison with elements of other social cognitive and stage …show more content…
As a social cognition model of health behaviours, this theory observes how well numerous factors linked to health beliefs could potentially predict intentions to alter health behaviours. In addition, the model is used in practice for predicting health behaviours (Rosenstock,1966). Nowadays the HBM is the most broadly used conceptual framework in health psychology (Carpenter, 2010). Keenness to attain precautionary health care in the HBM is formed by originally four core beliefs. Although, in later times, Rosentock and colleagues (1988) included self-efficacy as a core factor to further develop the explanation of individual differences in changes among health behaviours, making the five core beliefs a foundation for the HBM. Aside the self-efficacy element, the other four personal beliefs within the model may shape health behaviours through the perception of susceptibility and severity to disease as well as perception of benefits and costs of action. These beliefs account for cognitive influences on health behaviours. Perception of susceptibility to diseases refers to the subjective appraisal of the risk of developing ill health (Rosenstock, 1974). The severity belief covers the personal evaluation of the intensity of a health problem and its costs (Glanz, Barbara & Rimer, 2008). The benefits and cost to action include the
The hereby document seeks to critically evaluate the Health Belief Model to explain health behaviours and its motivational factors. The appraisal of this model will be done by comparison with elements of other social cognitive and stage …show more content…
As a social cognition model of health behaviours, this theory observes how well numerous factors linked to health beliefs could potentially predict intentions to alter health behaviours. In addition, the model is used in practice for predicting health behaviours (Rosenstock,1966). Nowadays the HBM is the most broadly used conceptual framework in health psychology (Carpenter, 2010). Keenness to attain precautionary health care in the HBM is formed by originally four core beliefs. Although, in later times, Rosentock and colleagues (1988) included self-efficacy as a core factor to further develop the explanation of individual differences in changes among health behaviours, making the five core beliefs a foundation for the HBM. Aside the self-efficacy element, the other four personal beliefs within the model may shape health behaviours through the perception of susceptibility and severity to disease as well as perception of benefits and costs of action. These beliefs account for cognitive influences on health behaviours. Perception of susceptibility to diseases refers to the subjective appraisal of the risk of developing ill health (Rosenstock, 1974). The severity belief covers the personal evaluation of the intensity of a health problem and its costs (Glanz, Barbara & Rimer, 2008). The benefits and cost to action include the