The Health Belief Model

The Health Belief Model is a psychological framework that explains how individuals make decisions about their health. It suggests that people are more likely to take health-related actions if they believe they are at risk for a health issue (perceived susceptibility) and that the consequences of that issue are serious (perceived severity). Additionally, they must believe that taking a specific action would reduce their risk (perceived benefits) and that there are no significant barriers to taking that action (perceived barriers). This model helps understand why some people engage in healthy behaviors while others do not.