The Health Belief Model says that whether or not people takes action to support their health depends on the following factors:
Perceived susceptibility to consequences of inaction (Will there be negative consequences if I don't act?)
Perceived severity of consequences of inaction (How bad are the negative consequences if I don't act?)
Perceived benefits of action (What are the benefits of me taking action?)
Perceived barriers to action (What barriers stand in the way of me taking action?)
Cues to action (Do I have people or environmental supports encouraging me to take action?)
Self-efficacy (Do I have the skills and confidence I need to take action?)
At the end of the day, people only change when the consequences of inaction are unacceptable.
The Health Belief Model comes in handy when we are designing persuasive messaging. It helps us figure out what an audience needs to hear in order to adopt healthy behaviors. When we are conducting interviews and focus groups, we generally look for answers to the following questions:
To what extent does the audience believe they are susceptible to a particular risk?
To what extent does the audience believe that the consequences of inaction are severe?
To what extent does the audience believe that there are benefits to taking action?
To what extent does the audience believe there are barriers standing in the way of action?
To what extent does the audience have any cues to remind them to take action?
To what extent does the audience have the self-efficacy required to take action?
Click here or watch the video below to learn more.
Ross H. Applying the Health Belief Model [YouTube Video]. 2014. Accessed July 1, 2016.
Health NIo. e-Source: Behavioral and Social Sciences Research. http://www.esourceresearch.org/Default.aspx?TabId=731. Accessed July 1, 2016.
Health Belief Model. In: Jones and Bartlett Publishers; http://www.jblearning.com/samples/0763743836/chapter 4.pdf. Accessed July 1, 2016.