Letter to the Editor
Copyright ©The Author(s) 2024. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Clin Cases. Nov 26, 2024; 12(33): 6660-6663
Published online Nov 26, 2024. doi: 10.12998/wjcc.v12.i33.6660
Integrating the health belief model into health education programs in a clinical setting
Bee Sung Kam, Sang Yeoup Lee
Bee Sung Kam, Sang Yeoup Lee, Department of Medical Education, Pusan National University School of Medicine, Yangsan 50612, South Korea
Sang Yeoup Lee, Department of Family Medicine and Biomedical Research Institute, Pusan National University Yangsan Hospital, Yangsan 50612, South Korea
Sang Yeoup Lee, Integrated Research Institute for Natural Ingredients and Functional Foods, Yangsan 50612, South Korea
Author contributions: Kam BS contributed to data collection; Lee SY contributed to article revision; Kam BS and Lee SY contributed to the study design, data analysis, interpretation and wrote the article; all of the authors read and approved the final version of the manuscript to be published.
Conflict-of-interest statement: All authors declare no conflict of interest in publishing the manscript.
Open-Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: https://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Sang Yeoup Lee, MD, PhD, Professor, Department of Family Medicine and Biomedical Research Institute, Pusan National University Yangsan Hospital, Geumo-ro 20, Mulgeum-eup, Yangsan 50612, South Korea. saylee@pnu.edu
Received: June 11, 2024
Revised: September 11, 2024
Accepted: September 19, 2024
Published online: November 26, 2024
Processing time: 107 Days and 9.5 Hours
Abstract

The article demonstrates that health belief model (HBM)-based health education in hypertensive patients effectively improves blood pressure control and medication adherence at 3 months and 6 months. The HBM addresses perceived barriers, benefits, susceptibility, severity, and self-efficacy, leading to better health behaviors. HBM-based education has been effective in various contexts, including managing chronic diseases, promoting cancer screenings, and preventing infectious diseases. However, the model has limitations, such as cultural applicability and addressing complex health behaviors influenced by environmental factors. Future research should integrate HBM with other theories and conduct longitudinal studies to assess long-term impacts. Despite these limitations, HBM-based education significantly improves patient outcomes, highlighting its potential in health education and promotion when appropriately adapted and implemented. This reinforces the model's value in designing effective health interventions and advancing public health.

Keywords: Health belief model; Hypertension; Health education; Health behavior; Intervention

Core Tip: Improving health outcomes involves boosting patient self-efficacy and highlighting the benefits of healthy behaviors. Additionally, addressing and reducing perceived barriers makes it easier for patients to engage in and maintain healthy behaviors. For a more effective health education framework, utilizing comprehensive interventions that combine the health belief model with other behavioral theories and various educational methods is essential.