Question

Using the Health Belief Model, provide examples of each of the four constructs for someone whose blood pressure readings have just recently shown numbers considered to be high.

Answer 1

Health Belief Model is the framework by using those population/patients/individuals are be motivated to modify life style or apply recommended action for getting positive health or avoid negative health. It is all about upgrading health behavior. There are 6 constructs .

1. Perceived Susceptibility : it is one' s belief that it is not good for health to have High Blood Pressure.

2. Perceived Severilty : it is one's believe that how can a disease and its consequences be sever . In the present case , patients own asessment that high BP is harmful for health. It can results in arterial stiffning, nephrppathy, retinopathy, increased risk of heart attack etc.

above 2 can be grouped in one Construct known as "Perceived Threat"

3. Perceived Benefits : it is one's believe that after modifying lifestyle or taking recommened action, how much benefit he would get. In this case patient assess that if he reduce weight, do regular exercise, reduce sodium and fat in diet, decrease smoking and alcohol, reduce stress by meditation/Yoga would decrease his Blood pressure to normal.

4. Perceived Barrier : it is one's assessment of the obstacles whose could prevent him to modify lifestyle or taking action. In present case lack of enough time or any other physical conditon prevent him to exercise, addiction of smoking and alcohol prevent him to abstinence from cigarette and alcohol, his job prevent him to reduce stress, lack of time prevemt him to do Yoga/Meditation etc.

above 4 are the basic constructs of the health belief model.

further are has been added.

5. Cues to Action : it is trigger by which patient is motivated to take action that is modifying life style. In present case , he, whose Blood is high, are motivated to modify lifestyle such as, do exercise, reduce fat and salty diet, loose weight , reduce smoking and alcohol consumption etc. It is done by displaying posters, by TV programme etc.

6. Self- efficay : it is one's assessment that how much he can modify life style or take action. In this case he assess that how much he could do exercise even having lack of time, how much time attention he could give to the meditation/Yoga for reducing stress. How could he control on his desire to smoke and take alcohol etc.

So above all are the Constructs of Health belief Model.