Health Belief Model

Introduction
After graduating from this program, I would like to work with type two diabetes
mellitus patients. Type two diabetes is a condition that impairs the way the body regulates and
uses glucose as a fuel, thereby resulting in increased sugar circulation in the bloodstream. The
condition can eventually lead to disorders of the nervous and immune systems. My interest in
this population is the fact that as opposed to type one diabetes mellitus, which is an
autoimmune reaction attacking the cells of the pancreas responsible for producing insulin and
is caused by environmental and genetic elements, the former does not primarily have genetic
causes. Some of the factors that might increase the risk of developing type two diabetes
mellitus include being overweight, poor fat distribution, majorly in the abdomen instead of the
hips and thighs, blood lipid levels, prediabetes, race and ethnicity, and positive family history
for type two diabetes mellitus (Petrov, 2017) .
My interest in working with chronically ill type two diabetes mellitus patients was also
instigated by the loss of a family member from the same condition after receiving poor
management of the disease. This assignment will implement the health belief behavior change
model to explain why people with type two diabetes mellitus have not taken action to change
their negative behaviors, including poor eating habits and unhealthy lifestyles, to reduce the
risk associated with further complications of the condition. The goal of the behavior change is
to ensure that the patients accumulate the perceived benefits of their actions after the exposure
to the factors that prompt action and improve their confidence in the ability to succeed.

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Lifestyle Factors Affecting Type Two Diabetes Mellitus Patients
Some of the lifestyle factors associated with developing type two diabetes mellitus
include inactivity, prediabetes, and polycystic ovary syndrome. According to research
findings, the excessive free fatty acids being released by the adipose tissue leads to a
reduction in insulin sensitivity of fat, muscle, and liver, thereby raising glucose levels, insulin
resistance, and type 2 diabetes (Qin et al., 2010) . Physical activity also reduces fat mass and
fat oxidative capability, thereby reducing the risk of developing diabetes. Additionally, the
American Diabetes Association estimates that the prevalence of diabetes increases by about 9
percent for every 1-kg increase in weight in an average human being (Sullivan et al., 2005) .
The less active an individual is, the higher the risks of adding weight and diabetes. Physical
activity uses up glucose as energy, helps reducing weight, and increases the sensitivity of the
cells for insulin.
Prediabetes is a condition in which your blood sugar level is higher than normal but not
high enough to be classified as diabetes. It is also referred to as impaired fasting glucose or
impaired glucose tolerance. Prediabetes does not always cause any symptoms. Research has
revealed that people with type 2 diabetes almost always had prediabetes (Nansseu et al.,
2018) . Some of the warning signs for individuals with prediabetes include frequent urination,
increased thirst, fatigue, excess hunger, and blurred vision. If left untreated, prediabetes often
leads to type 2 diabetes. Prediabetes is usually treated by lifestyle changes that manage the
symptoms mentioned above.
Having polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) increases the risk of developing type 2
diabetes in women. The condition is a hormonal disorder highly prevalent among women of
childbearing age. Women with the condition have prolonged or infrequent menstrual periods

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or excess androgen levels. More than half of women diagnosed with PCOS go ahead to
develop type 2 diabetes by the age of 40 (CDC, n.d.) . Additionally, the Center for Disease
Control also indicates that women with PCOS can develop serious health problems, especially
if they are overweight, including heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, and
gastrointestinal diabetes, which can lead to type 2 diabetes later in life for the baby and
mother (CDC, n.d.) .
Health Belief Model.
The health belief model posits that people will not change their health behaviors unless
they believe they are at risk. For instance: people are less likely to get a yearly flu shot if they
do not believe they will catch the flu. Additionally, individuals who believe they are unlikely
to get skin cancer are less likely to limit sun exposure or wear sunscreen lotion. Therefore, the
model defines the key factors influencing health behaviors: perceived susceptibility, perceived
severity, perceived benefits, perceived barriers to action, cues to action, and self-efficacy
(Mohammadi et al., 2018) . According to this model, people who do not believe they might
develop type 2 diabetes are less likely to develop positive lifestyle changes to reduce the risk
of developing obesity and other risk factors. The model can be used to design short and long-
term interventions for the patients using five essential action-related components. The
components include conducting a health needs assessment to ascertain the risk, conveying the
consequences of diabetes associated with the risk behaviors, communicating to the patients
how to make lifestyle changes, providing assistance in identifying and reducing barriers, and
enhancing self-efficacy (Rondhianto et al., 2018) .

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Interpersonal and intrapersonal Barriers to Behavior Change
Some of the intrapersonal barriers to behavior change include lack of self-motivation,
busy schedules, and lack of time. Additionally, lack of immediate feedback or consequences,
social proof, and lack of enabling environment for behavior change might limit the ability of
individuals to change risky behaviors. Interpersonal barriers to behavior change include
family caregiving obligations that keep individuals too engaged to change their routines,
friends and family members that do not share the interest in physical activity, and lack of
motivation or the energy to engage in physical activity. Additionally, lack of resources or
equipment to engage in physical activity can also limit the ability to change high-risk
behaviors.
Vision and Role in Improving Well-being and Self-efficacy
My vision for type 2 diabetes patients is to use the health belief model for lifestyle
changes aimed at improving physical activity. Physical activity increases the sensitivity of the
cells for insulin, uses up glucose as energy, and helps in reducing weight, which are some of
the high-risk factors for type 2 diabetes. Additionally, physical activity lowers the risk of
nerve damage and heart diseases among type two diabetes patients. Self-efficacy is essential
in managing these patients because it addresses their attitudes, abilities, and cognitive skills to
help them realize the need for behavior change related to increased physical activity. As
opposed to the pharmacological management of type 2 diabetes, confidence and the ability to
maintain physical activity routines and symptoms are necessary for the patient to realize the
effects of the change. Moreover, the interpersonal and intrapersonal barriers can be eliminated
by increasing the patient’s confidence in themselves.

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References:
CDC. (n.d.). PCOS (Polycystic Ovary Syndrome) and Diabetes | CDC. Retrieved May 23,
2021, from https://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/basics/pcos.html
Mohammadi, S., Karim, N. A., Talib, R. A., & Amani, R. (2018). The impact of self-efficacy
education based on the health belief model in Iranian patients with type 2 diabetes: A
randomised controlled intervention study. Asia Pacific Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
https://doi.org/10.6133/apjcn.072017.07
Nansseu, J. R., Bigna, J. J., Kaze, A. D., & Noubiap, J. J. (2018). Incidence and risk factors
for prediabetes and diabetes mellitus among HIV-infected adults on antiretroviral
therapy. In Epidemiology (Vol. 29, Issue 3, pp. 431–441). Lippincott Williams and
Wilkins. https://doi.org/10.1097/EDE.0000000000000815
Petrov, M. S. (2017). Diabetes of the exocrine pancreas: American Diabetes Association-
compliant lexicon. Pancreatology, 17(4), 523–526.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pan.2017.06.007
Qin, L., Knol, M. J., Corpeleijn, E., & Stolk, R. P. (2010). Does physical activity modify the
risk of obesity for type 2 diabetes: A review of epidemiological data. In European
Journal of Epidemiology (Vol. 25, Issue 1, pp. 5–12). Springer.
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10654-009-9395-y
Rondhianto, Kusnanto, & Melaniani, S. (2018). The effect of diabetes self-management
education, based on the health belief model, on the psychosocial outcome of type 2
diabetic patients in Indonesia. Indian Journal of Public Health Research and
Development. https://doi.org/10.5958/0976-5506.2018.01691.1
Sullivan, P. W., Morrato, E. H., Ghushchyan, V., Wyatt, H. R., & Hill, J. O. (2005). Obesity,

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inactivity, and the prevalence of diabetes and diabetes-related cardiovascular
comorbidities in the U.S. 2000-2002. In Diabetes Care (Vol. 28, Issue 7, pp.
1599–1603). American Diabetes Association.
https://doi.org/10.2337/diacare.28.7.1599