What are the core variables of the Health Belief Model?

• A. Perceived susceptibility, perceived severity, perceived benefits, perceived barriers, self-efficacy, cues to action
• B. Demographic and structural variables only
• C. Attitudes and normative beliefs
• D. Knowledge and skills

Answer: (A)

The Health Belief Model centers on how a person's beliefs about health risk and the benefits and barriers to taking action shape whether they actually act. The key variables are perceived susceptibility and perceived severity, which together create a perceived threat; perceived benefits and perceived barriers, which determine the expected value of taking action; cues to action, which serve as triggers to engage in the behavior; and self-efficacy, which is the person’s confidence in their ability to perform the behavior.

For example, when deciding to get a flu shot, you consider how likely you are to catch the flu and how serious it would be if you did, weigh the benefits of vaccination against obstacles like cost or fear of needles, notice prompts such as a physician’s advice or a reminder, and believe you can actually go through with getting vaccinated.

Other options shift focus away from these belief-based mediators: demographics and structural factors influence behavior but aren’t the core constructs of the model; attitudes and normative beliefs align more with other theories; knowledge and skills matter but are not the primary drivers identified by the Health Belief Model.