Food Nutrition and Behaviour

Running head: FOOD NUTRITION AND BEHAVIOUR
FOOD NUTRITION AND BEHAVIOUR
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1FOOD NUTRITION AND BEHAVIOUR
Introduction:
The Health Belief Model (HBM) was build up in the year of 1950s by some social
researchers at the U.S. Public Well-being Service with the aim to recognize the
disappointment of individuals to accept disease inhibition measures and approaches or the
screening tests in order to detect the disease in early stage. Later the practises of Health
Belief Model (HBM) was used for the patients' reactions to certain signs and obedience to the
medical managements. The Health Belief Model (HBM) proposes that belief of an individual
in an individual risk of any illness, altogether with the individual’s confidence in the
efficiency of the provided health behaviour or achievement will forecast the likelihood on
how the individual will accept the behaviour (1).
The Health Belief Model (HBM) originates from behavioural and psychological
theory on the basis of the two constituents of health-associated behaviour which are the
craving to avoid the infection, or similarly get healthier if previously ill; and, the other one is
the faith that a accurate health act which will prevent, or treat disorder. Ultimately, a patient’s
progression of act often be contingent on the individual’s perceptions of the acquired benefits
and the obstacles associated to the health behaviour. The assignment will discuss and critique
the Health Belief Model (HBM) and will identify and explain alternative drivers of human
food choice and discussion on the bad and good point (2).
Analyse and critique the HBM:
The health belief model is a specific social cognition model build on the bases of complex
theoretical compositions which are:
 Perceived susceptibility: the term refers to an individual’s personal observation of the
threat of attaining any illness or infection. There is a wide deviation in an individual’s
state of mind on particular vulnerability to the illness or infection.

2FOOD NUTRITION AND BEHAVIOUR
 Perceived severity – it is used to refer to an individual’s feelings on the significance
of diminishing the illness or infection suffering or not treating the illness or infections.
There is extensive variation in one individual’s state of mind towards severity, and it
is found that often individuals consider the medical concerns such as death and
disability, and social values which can be family life and shared relationships when
assessing the severity of the disease and its outcomes (3).
 Perceived benefits – the term reflects the perception of a person on the effectiveness
of diverse actions available tin order to reduce the risk factors of illness or infection or
to cure such circumstances. The development process attained by an individual
account in preventing or treating any illness or disease which relies on the
consideration and assessment of both supposed vulnerability and professed benefit, so
that the individual accepts the suggested health strategies and measures if it was
counted as beneficial (18).
 Perceived barriers – the term is used to state a person's thoughts and feelings on the
difficulties to perform any kind of recommended health measures. There is vast
difference in an individual's feelings of barriers, or impairments, which would lead to
a charge/benefit enquiry. The individual weighs the efficiency of the measures against
the insights that it might be too expensive, unsafe, would have side effects,
disagreeable painful, time-taking, or may be problematic (4).
 Cue to action - This is the inducement required in order to activate the decision-
making objective in an individual to receive a better provided health action. These
cues can either be internal such as chest pains, wheezing, etc. or can be external such
as guidance from others, disease of family member, post or articles etc.
 Self-efficacy – it reflects to an individual’s confidence towards his/her ability to
successfully accomplish a behaviour. Self-efficacy is a concept used in various

3FOOD NUTRITION AND BEHAVIOUR
behavioural theories as it directly re-counts to whether an individual achieves the
anticipated behaviour.
The Health Belief Model (HBM) has its benefits as it helps the healthcare centres and the
individuals to remember that individual’s health choice are totally dependent not only on
rational thinking but is also dependent on their emotions, social conditions, habits and
individual preferences. Thus it is found to open the eyes and mind sets of people to what may
be more beneficial and effective social teaching strategy throughout the health habits (5).
The drawbacks that the Health Belief Model (HBM) possess to the health-risk behaviours
and it is unable to explain people regarding the environment, personal and social factors
which is found to influence the health status and suffering. It is found that believes has its
major effect on people’s decision making ability. The model helps the healthcare
professionals to develop a better awareness and education plan for the people that can
effectively change their behaviour and mind-set nut does not have any strategy to develop
knowledge regarding the disease management after some is infected (6).
Identify and explain alternative drivers of human food choice
Major determinants of food choice
Food choice is referred to the idea of how people choose on what food they want to
buy and eat. A multifaceted set of factors which is found to be varying from one person to
another person and also depends on the culture, tradition and up-bringing which are also the
major factors which influence the food choice (17). People may look for the cost of the food
product if they need to maintain their routine budget, or look for information regarding their
allergen if they have any kind of food allergy. But it has been seen that food choice may also
get influenced by many other characteristics which agree to one’s personal preferences such
as sustainability tags for any fair trade, health-related information or organic labels such