The health belief model (HBM) is a social psychological health behavior change model developed to explain and predict health-related behaviors, particularly in regard to the uptake of health services.[1
][2] The HBM was developed in the 1950s by social psychologists at the U.S. Public Health Service[2][3] and remains one of the best known and most widely used theories in health behavior research.[4
][5] The HBM suggests that people’s beliefs about health problems, perceived benefits of action and barriers to action, and self-efficacy explain engagement (or lack of engagement) in health-promoting behavior.[2][3] A stimulus, or cue to action, must also be present in order to trigger the health-promoting behavior.[2][3]
