The Health Belief Model (HBM)

Re:Topic 1 DQ 1
The Health Belief Model (HBM) was developed in the 1950’s by psychologists who wanted to find out why only a few people had an interest in the preventing and detecting of diseases (Health Belief Model, 2012).The HBM is significant because it encourages individuals to have healthy behavior choices and to avoid putting themselves at risk of bad health outcomes.
According to Von et al. (2004), college students are very susceptible to engaging in very risky health behaviors. The health behaviors that the college students establish when they are still young are very significant to their health; risky behaviors can cause diseases later in life.The best way to prevent the college students from the risky health behaviors is by affirming the importance of self-efficacy because it helps in increasing good and protective health behaviors. Therefore, nurses who work with the college student health facilities should be on the frontline to incorporate methods that develop self-efficacy among the students and hence encouraging the adoption of good lifestyle choices. Turner et al. (2004) explain that Osteoporosis is a condition that affects many women and has led to many deaths in the United States. Osteoporosis is a condition that develops in the form of fractures causing bone deformity and excruciating pain. The many deaths have mainly been caused because most women are unaware of the condition and have been practicing poor health choices. However, through good lifestyle choices like intake of calcium and physical activityOsteoporosis can be reduced. Therefore nurses should encourage women to have better health behaviors that are guided by healthy lifestyle choices to prevent getting the condition. Medical intervention cannot help in reversing the effects of Osteoporosis; nurses should thus put strategies that can prevent it by health education and health promotion of healthy lifestyle choices among women.
Health Belief Model is important, and nurses have a responsibility of encouraging patients to make behavior changes that promote healthy lifestyle choices. They particularly should work with the lifestyle choices because they are very effective in preventing a lot of diseases. Lifestyle choices are important because they have a major role in affecting and influencing the health of an individual
References
Diane Von Ah, S. E.-H. (2004). Predictors of health behaviours in college students. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 48(5), 463-474.
Health Belief Model . (2012, January 31). Health Belief Model. Retrieved November 15, 2016, from Nursing Theories: http://currentnursing.com/nursing_theory/health_belief_model.html
Turner,L.W.,Hunt,S.B.,DeBrezzo,R., & Jones, C.(2004).Design and Implementation of an Osteoporosis Prevention Program using the Health Belief Model. American Journal of Heath Studies, 19(2), 115-121.