Which three elements of the Health Belief Model predict motivation to change self-care health behaviors?

• A. The severity of the illness; The perception of susceptibility to the illness; The client's willingness to change lifestyle choices.
• B. Age; Gender; Education
• C. Cost; Access; Convenience
• D. Fear; Denial; Ambivalence

Answer: (A)

Motivation to adopt self-care behaviors comes from beliefs about the illness and one’s ability to act. The two key beliefs are perceived severity and perceived susceptibility: how serious the condition would be and how likely you are to get it. When someone thinks a disease is serious and they are at risk, they’re more motivated to take preventive or self-care actions. The third element—willingness to change lifestyle choices—captures readiness to act, reflecting confidence that one can perform the necessary changes. Together, these beliefs help predict whether a person will pursue self-care behaviors.

The other options don’t fit because they point to demographics (age, gender, education) or external factors (cost, access, convenience) or broad emotional states (fear, denial, ambivalence) rather than the belief-based predictors that drive motivation in the Health Belief Model.