Health Belief Model Health Communication Theories

Take Away Points What is the purpose of the Health Belief Model? What are the four aspects of writing an objective? What are the 7 components and definitions of each? How can these components work together to describe why someone is/isn’t engaging in a health behavior? Know the definitions of each of the 7 components and be able to identify which area an example falls under (from your worksheets!) How does communication fit into this model? *Note: You do NOT need to know the REVISED model, only the original (which is presented here)

The Health Belief Model describes what influences a person’s health behaviors.

Health Belief Model: 7 components Demographics/Sociopsychology Perceived susceptibility Perceived severity Perceived benefits Perceived barriers Cost (financially and otherwise) Self-efficacy Cues to action Internal cues External cues

Likelihood of taking recommended preventive health action Individual PerceptionsModifying FactorsLikelihood of Action

Write a health behavior that you are not currently doing that you want to start! Objectives should be… Observable Is there an actual way to see you perform the skill? Measurable Can you collect data to document whether the skill has been performed? Attainable Can you actually obtain this objective in this semester? Specific Does the objective include criteria that provides precise guidelines for describing what you will do?

Writing Objectives Poorly written, non-specific objectives I will exercise more during the semester I want to eat more fruit Specific, criteria-based objectives I will exercise 2 times a week for the duration of the semester I will eat at least 2 servings of fruit per day I will go to the doctor and ask him/her about X health issue within the next 2 weeks

Demographics are statistical data about a population and groups within it.

Sociopsychological information is social and psychological characteristics of a person.

Demographic and Sociopsychological Characteristics Likelihood of taking recommended preventive health action Individual PerceptionsModifying FactorsLikelihood of Action

Perceived severity is your perception of the seriousness of a health threat.

Example: Diabetes Study Perceived Severity: looked at the participants’ beliefs about the severity of diabetes as a health problem or the severity of complications arising from diabetes as health problems.

Perceived susceptibility is your perception of how vulnerable you are to a health threat.

Example: Diabetes Study Perceived Susceptibility: looked at the participants’ beliefs about what would happen if they did not take medications as directed by their doctor. This included how likely they would be to develop complications, have complications worsen, or have shortened life expectancy.

Risk Appraisal Perceived Susceptibility: Perceived Severity: Demographic and Sociopsychological Characteristics Likelihood of taking recommended preventive health action Individual PerceptionsModifying FactorsLikelihood of Action

Cues to action are stimuli that encourage you to adopt a certain behavior. Internal CuesExternal Cues

How does communication fit into cues of action? Intrapersonal Interpersonal Organizational Mass Communication

Perceived Susceptibility: Perceived Severity: Demographic and Sociopsychological Characteristics Cues to Action: Mass media campaigns Advice from others Illness of family member Physician’s explanation Likelihood of taking recommended preventive health action Individual PerceptionsModifying FactorsLikelihood of Action

Perceived Susceptibility: Perceived Severity: Perceived Threat of Disease X Demographic and Sociopsychological Characteristics Cues to Action: Mass media campaigns Advice from others Illness of family member Physician’s explanation Likelihood of taking recommended preventive health action Individual PerceptionsModifying FactorsLikelihood of Action

Perceived benefits are your perceptions of the advantages of doing a health behavior.

Example: Diabetes Study Perceived Benefits: the participants’ perception of how sticking to their diabetic medication will benefit their overall health.

Perceived barriers are your perception of the costs of doing a health behavior.

Example: Diabetes Study Perceived Barriers: the participants’ perception of the discomfort of side effects from diabetes medications as well as their worries about long term effects of their medications. family problems and difficulty integrating medication taking into daily life and lack of motivation

Perceived Susceptibility: Perceived Severity: Perceived Threat of Disease X Demographic and Sociopsychological Characteristics Cues to Action: Mass media campaigns Advice from others Illness of family member Physician’s explanation Perceived benefits of preventive action minus Perceived barriers of preventive action Likelihood of taking recommended preventive health action Individual PerceptionsModifying FactorsLikelihood of Action

Self efficacy is your belief in your personal ability to adopt the health behavior.

Example: Diabetes Study Self-Efficacy: the confidence the participant felt in their ability to manage their diabetes.

Perceived Susceptibility: Perceived Severity: Perceived Threat of Disease X Demographic and Sociopsychological Characteristics Cues to Action: Mass media campaigns Advice from others Illness of family member Physician’s explanation Perceived benefits of preventive action minus Perceived barriers of preventive action Self Efficacy Likelihood of taking recommended preventive health action Individual PerceptionsModifying FactorsLikelihood of Action

Perceived Susceptibility: Perceived Severity: Disease: Perceived threat of Disease Low…..…..Medium…..….High 1.Demographics: 2.Sociopsychological: Cues to Action: Benefits: Barriers: Self Efficacy: Low....Medium.….High Extent to which you’ve done the action: Likelihood that you will do it: Individual PerceptionsModifying FactorsLikelihood of Action

Does the model fully cover all aspects of why you want to perform this behavior and why you aren’t?

Discussion Question Where does communication fit into the HBM?

What are the boxes that describe why you aren’t doing the behavior? Highlight these boxes.

Turn to the person next to you… 1.Describe your behavior and why you aren’t currently doing it 2.On the back of your worksheet, write 1.Something that someone could say to you that would address why you aren’t doing the behavior and would increase your likelihood of doing the behavior. 2.Who the speaker is that would most influence you

Perceived Susceptibility: Perceived Severity: Perceived Threat of Disease X Demographic and Sociopsychological Characteristics Cues to Action: Mass media campaigns Advice from others Illness of family member Physician’s explanation Perceived benefits of preventive action minus Perceived barriers of preventive action Self Efficacy Likelihood of taking recommended preventive health action Individual PerceptionsModifying FactorsLikelihood of Action

Take Away Points What are the four aspects of writing an objective? What is the purpose of the Health Belief Model? What are the 7 components and definitions of each? How can these components work together to describe why someone is/isn’t engaging in a health behavior? Know the definitions of each of the 7 components and be able to identify which area an example falls under (from your worksheets!) How does communication fit into this model? *Note: You do NOT need to know the REVISED model, only the original (which is presented here)