HealthBeliefModell

The Health Belief Model (HBM), sometimes referenced in German as das Gesundheitsglaubensmodell, is a psychological framework used to understand and predict preventive health behaviors. It was developed in the United States in the 1950s–1960s by social psychologists such as Herman Rosenstock and colleagues, to explain why people might or might not participate in health-related actions like screening.

The model identifies several cognitive factors that influence decision making: perceived susceptibility to a health issue, perceived severity of the issue, perceived benefits of taking a health action, and perceived barriers to taking that action. Later additions include cues to action (triggers that prompt engagement) and self-efficacy, or confidence in one's ability to perform the action.

According to the model, individuals are more likely to take preventive action when they believe they are personally at risk, believe the issue has serious consequences, believe the proposed action would reduce their risk or severity, and perceive few practical or psychological obstacles. Cues to action and higher self-efficacy support action even when motivation is moderate.

HBM has been applied to a broad range of health behaviors, including vaccination uptake, cancer and diabetes screening, medication adherence, diet and exercise, and risk communication. It is commonly used to inform the design of health education and promotion campaigns, by identifying belief targets to address in interventions.

Limitations of the model include modest predictive power for complex behaviors shaped by social, economic, and environmental factors. It emphasizes beliefs as primary drivers and may underweight social norms, access to care, habit, and automatic behavior. Measurement of constructs can be challenging, and the model is often used as a heuristic rather than a comprehensive theory.