The state of healthcare in global communities is far from perfect. The effectiveness of healthcare is based on many factors, such as access to necessities, education, literacy, the availability of funds and resources, and technology. The introduction of modern practices and technologies in rural communities often faces difficulties and barriers as locals are slow to adopt new health behaviors aimed at improving their lives.
In order to facilitate the process of adaptation, healthcare managers utilize several behavior change theories. One of the oldest and most popular theories is the Health Belief Model (HBM), which is used to inform populations about impending health interventions. According to this model, the primary constructs that need to be influenced are perceived susceptibility, perceived severity, perceived benefits, perceived barriers, cues to action, and self-efficacy.
This theory can be applied to many health promotion efforts conducted in Africa and the Middle East, such as cancer screenings. In the context of this intervention, the Health Belief Model suggests that the population is more likely to adopt new behaviors when they perceive themselves to be susceptible to the disease.
Cancer is a severe threat that warrants a preventive action. In addition, the theory suggests that patients are more likely to conduct cancer screenings if there is sufficient access to the technology and if the perceived benefits outweigh the risks. Lastly, the concept of self-efficiency states that in order for the intervention to be successful, patients need to be taught to conduct basic screenings on their own. The effectiveness of this model is motivated by its relative simplicity and ease of application as well as flexibility in different scenarios.