Health and life

The HBM has been criticized for these conflicting results. It has also been criticized for several other weaknesses, including the following:
■ its focus on the conscious processing of information (for example, is tooth-brushing really determined by weighing up the pros and cons?)
■ its emphasis on the individual (for example, what role does the social and [...]

However, several studies have reported conflicting findings. Janz and Becker (1984) found that healthy behavioural intentions are related to low perceived severity, not high as predicted, and several studies have suggested an association between low susceptibility (not high) and healthy behaviour (Becker et al. 1975; Langlie 1977). Hill et al. (1985) applied the HBM to [...]

If applied to a health-related behaviour such as screening for cervical cancer, the HBM predicts regular screening for cervical cancer if an individual perceives that she is highly susceptible to cancer of the cervix, that cervical cancer is a severe health threat, that the benefits of regular screening are high, and that the costs of [...]

The HBM predicts that behaviour is a result of a set of core beliefs, which have been redefined over the years. The original core beliefs are the individual’s perception of:
■ susceptibility to illness (e.g. ‘my chances of getting lung cancer are high’)
■ the severity of the illness (e.g. ‘lung cancer is a serious illness’)
■ the [...]

The health belief model (HBM) was developed initially by Rosenstock (1966) and further by Becker and colleagues throughout the 1970s and 1980s in order to predict preventive health behaviours and also the behavioural response to treatment in acutely and chronically ill patients. However, over recent years, the health belief model has been used to predict [...]

Several studies support the predictions of the HBM. Research indicates that dietary compliance, safe sex, having vaccinations, making regular dental visits and taking part in regular exercise programmes are related to the individual’s perception of susceptibility to the related health problem, to their belief that the problem is severe and their perception that the benefits [...]