Theory 27: Health Belief Model

Number of Constructs: 11
Number of Triples: 15

Theory triples

• Demographic variables influences Perceived benefits
• Demographic variables influences Perceived barriers
• Demographic variables influences Self-efficacy
• Social psychological variables influences Perceived benefits
• Social psychological variables influences Perceived barriers
• Social psychological variables influences Self-efficacy
• Structural variables influences Perceived benefits
• Structural variables influences Perceived barriers
• Structural variables influences Self-efficacy
• Perceived benefits positively influences Likelihood of preventative action
• Perceived barriers negatively influences Likelihood of preventative action
• Self-efficacy positively influences Likelihood of preventative action
• Perceived severity part of Perceived threat
• Perceived susceptibility part of Perceived threat
• Perceived threat positively influences Likelihood of preventative action

Theory constructs and annotations

• Demographic variables Variables relating to the human population with regard to various factors and characteristics such as sex and age distribution [ BCIO:050893 (socio-demographic characteristic) 27 12 35 ]
• Perceived benefits Beliefs about the relative effectiveness of known options for reducing a health threat, distinct from objective facts [ BCIO:050607 (Belief about the positive health consequences of a behaviour) 27 16 ]
• Perceived barriers Beliefs about the negative aspects of taking health-protective action (e.g. inconvenience, expense, discomfort) [ BCIO:006017 (Belief about barriers to a behaviour) 27 23 79 ]
• Self-efficacy Beliefs about whether or not one is capable of taking a health-protective action [ BCIO:006043 (Self-efficacy belief for a behaviour and its associated outcomes) 27 24 28 23 32 25 26 ]
• Social psychological variables Social, emotional, cognitive and behavioural characteristics
• Structural variables Additional variables that affect one’s perceptions and thus indirectly influence health-related behaviour (e.g. knowledge about the relevant disease, prior experience of the disease)
• Likelihood of preventative action The probability of taking action designed to prevent or mitigate threat [ BCIO:050819 (Harm preventing behaviour) 27 30 16 3 ]
• Perceived severity Perception of the seriousness of the disease both in terms of the emotional arousal elicited by thoughts of the disease and the anticipated difficulties that could be created by the disease
• Perceived threat Perceptions of the threat posed by a disease or health problem, based on one's perceived susceptibility to, and the perceived severity of, a disease or health problem [ BCIO:0050003 (Belief about threat) 27 45 24 ]
• Perceived susceptibility The extent to which one believes one is at risk of contracting a particular disease or developing a particular health problem

Theory illustration

Theory References

• Rosenstock, I. (1974). Historical Origins of the Health Belief Model. Health Education Monographs, 2(4), 328-335.
• Rosenstock, I.M., Strecher, V.J. & Becker, M.H. (1988). Social learning theory and the health belief model. Health Education Quarterly, 15(2), 175-183.