Literature Review of the Health Belief Model and Preventive Behavior

Literature Review of the Health Belief Model and Preventive Behavior

Literature Review of the Health Belief Model and Preventive Behavior

The Health Belief Model (HBM) is a widely utilized conceptual framework in health problems. The model adapts theory from behavioral sciences to health-related issues.  The model is based on individual beliefs and perceptions about sickness and behavior change.  According to the model’s assumption, people fear diseases. Health care-seeking actions are positively related to the degree of fear. Health care providers thus rely on the model in providing effective fear reduction actions. Perceived severity, susceptibility, benefits, and barriers are the primary constructs of the model. The following is a summary review of various literature on the health belief model, how it has been used in practice, and how it has generated additional research.

Literature Review Method, Databases, and Key Search Terms Used

            The literature review follows a narrative literature review approach. In the process, the available literature was critiqued and summarized. Conclusions are drawn about the topic, and inconsistencies are identified in the body of knowledge. The literature review relied on the PubMed, CINAHL, Medline, OVID, Scopus, and Cochrane Library databases as the research tools to access information. The keyword search terms that were used to find relevant information included Health Belief Model, uses of HBM, Health belief model in nursing practice, HBM conceptual framework, and health belief in fear management. The search limits in these databases included PICO, evidence-based articles, date, and search by relevance.  The result hit from my search was 2845.  For the review, this writer selected five primary papers that ranged from 2015 to 2020.  Most of the articles chosen are research-based articles, all of which were in the format of background, methods, results, and conclusion (BMRC).The University of Texas Health Science Center San Antonio library database was used to do the HBM search.

Exploring Women’s Decision on Ovaries Removal Using HBM

            HBM has been applied to explore why women decide to either remove or not remove their ovaries to lower cancer development chances. The study is a qualitative study.  The article by Herrmann et al. (2018) describes how women make decisions based on the four constructs of HBM. The article reveals that feelings of anxiousness and susceptibility increase the likelihood that a woman will have an oophorectomy. Herrmann et al. (2018) found out that anxiety in women is caused by witnessing the suffering and death. There are barriers and potential benefits to surgery, but many women base their decisions on ‘gut feelings.’

Using HBM to Predict Safe Driving Behaviors

A lot of injuries and offenses are caused by reckless driving. Razmara et al. (2018) explored the safe driving behaviors among drivers using HBM. The study is a quantitative study.  Their study sampled 184 taxi drivers from Bandar from whom questionnaires comprising of demographic information and HBM constructs were administered to collect data. The article reveals that perceived benefits and cues to action are positively correlated to safe driving habits, while perceived barriers negatively relate to safe driving. Razmara et al. (2018) point out that cues to action, perceived benefits, and barriers are strong predictors of safe driving behavior.

Effect of HBM Based Education on Breast Cancer Screening Behavior

Education affects breast cancer screening behavior in women. Masoudiyekta et al. (2018) purposed to determine the effects of education on women’s breast cancer screening behavior.  The study is a mixed study.The study’s findings indicate a significant relationship between the performance of women, knowledge variables, self-efficacy, perceived sensitivity, benefits, and barriers. Poor knowledge among women means a need to educate them about the importance of breast cancer screening (Sharifikia et al., 2019). Educational programs on breast need to consider factors that affect breast cancer screening behaviors.

Can HBM Predict Breast Cancer Screening Behavior

The HBM was used in this study to help determine the predictors of breast cancer screening behaviors.  According to Davishpour et al. (2018), breast cancer is the second cause of cancer-related death among women.  Prevention programs insist on early diagnosis and testing to decreasethe death rate.  Breast examination methods of mammography, clinical breast examination (CBE), and breast self-examination (BSE) can spot the disease in the initial stage and stop malignancy.  Breast examination also causes women to pay close notice to changes in their breasts and go for clinical check-ups.

The study is a quantitative study involving 304 women from the ages of 20 to 65 who live in North Iran, excluding women who were breastfeeding, pregnant, or currently have breast cancer.

The result of this study shows self-efficacy and perceived benefits as the predictors of breast self-examination, and perceived barriers were its inverse predictors.  Other elements of the HBM (perceived susceptibility, perceived seriousness, and health motivation) could not predict BSE (Davishpour et al., 2018).  Perceived benefit means the early discovery of the disease and positive results with monthly BSE and preventing disease exposure.  Self-efficacy is an individual’s self-confidence in carrying out the BSE precisely and successfully to diagnose suspected breast tumors.  Therefore, educational programs should focus on training women to increase self-efficacy about BSE.  Reducing BSE barriers could also have played an essential role in predicting BSE.

The result also shows perceived benefits as predictors of mammography and perceived barriers as an inverse predictor.  Reduction of barriers can increase perceived benefits,and self-efficacy affects inversely perceived benefits and perceived barriers to performing mammography.  Barriers to mammography include discomfort, unease, radiation fear, and lack of breast cancer symptoms in Iranian women’s culture.Appropriateteaching is suggested to reduce these factors and provide a background to encourage women to use preventive health measures.

HBM-Based Intervention on Women’s Knowledge and Perceived Beliefs About Cancer Warning Signs

Awareness of the warning symptoms of cancers helps in early detection.  The HBM in this study aimed to explore educational intervention on the knowledge and perceived beliefs of women about warning signs of cancer.  Cancer is one of the leading causes of death worldwide, and its prevalence continues to intensify worldwide (Sharifikia et al., 2019).  Prevention of one-third and a cure of one-third of the disease is estimated if diagnosed early (Sharifikia et al., 2019).  HBM-based education is an efficient way to increase people’s awareness and ensuing behavioral change.

The study is a randomized experimental study with intervention and control groups by pretest-posttest design (Sharifikia et al., 2019).  The study was conducted in Iran at four urban health centers affiliated with the Bushear University of Medical Sciences.

The study’s outcome shows women’s knowledge, and their perceived beliefs about warning symptoms of cancer improved after HBM-based educational intervention in the intervention group compared to the controls.  The teaching provided impacted women’s knowledge and perceived beliefs sent to the health centers regarding perceived sensitivity, perceived severity, perceived benefits, perceived barriers, cue to action, and self-efficacy.  Cancer teaching would be successful in enhancing women’s health-promoting behaviors in cancer prevention.  Planning by healthcare providers for HBM-based educational interventions based on the target groups’ educational needs at different community levels is highly recommended.

How HBM Is Used in Practice

            The health belief model is used to guide health promotion programs to change behavior and prevent diseases. The model explains and predicts how individuals behave and how their behavior changes concerning health. The model is widely used to understand health behaviors.  According to Darvishpour et al. (2018), it focuses on individuals’ beliefs about health behaviors and uses them to predict related behaviors. The model defines perceived threats to diseases, beliefs of the consequences, possible benefits, barriers to action, and self-efficacy.  Individuals feel threatened by condition (perceived sensitivity) and then perceive the depth of risk and seriousness of its different complications (perceived severity) to take preventive measures based on the HBM.

How Has the Health Belief Model Generated Additional Research

            The health belief model fails to account for people’s attitudes or beliefs and other individual factors that dictate health behaviors’ acceptance. The model does not consider habitual behaviors such as smoking, yet considering such factors can inform decision-making and recommendations acceptance. The model does not also account for behaviors people engage in for non-health purposes, such as being socially accepted (Kim & Zane, 2016). Economic and environmental behaviors that can either promote or prohibit recommended actions are not accounted for in the model. Everyone is assumed to have equal access to information about diseases. These factors are essential, and failure by HBM to account for them creates a need for additional research.

Conclusion

            According to the health belief model, belief in being susceptible to a health condition that has severe consequences makes a person at risk or patient conclude that benefits outweigh barriers in behavior change associated with preventing the problem. It is an essential tool in nursing because it helps prevent chronic diseases and improve the quality of life if a condition already exists; however, non-compliance remains commonplace.  Compliance can be improved by using knowledge gained through knowledge. Nurses can use it to clarify patients’ perceptions about risks and why the patients exhibit harmful behavior. The perceptions are always affected by factors such as age, personality, and sex of a person. Understanding and applying the model thus helps nurses influence patients to adjust their behavior to healthy living styles.