Researchers have always tried to establish the causes and remedy for diseases but there are researchers who chose to come up with something different. This is the health belief model that was designed as a tool for helping health officials study health behavior. The model is based on the assumption that the personal beliefs people have affect their health behaviors. Many people concerned with heath education have adopted this model and this is because it can simply be adapted to suit a health practice. Rosenstock, Strecher and Becker (1994) claim that the last three decades have seen wide use of the health belief model in health related behavior. The health belief model was a 1950s development of several Public Health Service officials; Hochbaum, Rosenstock, Leventhal and Kegels.
The model was initially created with an aim of analyzing how people tended to use public health services provided by the U. S Public Health Service. This was prompted by tuberculosis service use which according to Hachbaum (1958) were proving to be unsuccessful. The model was adopted for the United States Public Health Service prevention programs. It contained four elements or perceptions which the researchers identified as important components that can help one understand health behavior. These perceptions have so far been increased and according to Rosenstock, Strecher and Becker (1994), they are perceived threat (perceived susceptibility and perceived severity), perceived benefits, perceived barriers, cues to action, other variables and self-efficacy. Gatewood et al. (2008) think that the purpose of the health belief model was to explain people’s lack of action in preventing asymptomatic disease. Thus, the health belief model was geared towards health related behavior which Glanz and Maddock (2002) think that the advancements in medicine as well as improvement in sanitation have increased its necessity.

Perceived Threat
Mackey (2002) asserts that the identification of health risks inherent in a community by its members is a determinant of their health. The threat perception people attach to a health condition in terms of how serious it is and their chances of being affected by it is what constitutes the perceived threat construct. For a health condition, people hold certain beliefs about how and what may happen if they contract it. One person may perceive a health concern as being severe while it may be less severe to another. There are many things that people use to determine the seriousness of a condition and when people know they are more at risk of losing something and would therefore be prompted to take action for their lives. Some people may decide to take action because they are aware of what it might cost them if they were to get sick. When it comes to susceptibility, someone may tend to think that because he/she is of a certain age, then the disease cannot affect him/her. Someone may also have the perception that because they are healthy, they cannot be affected and this is also a belief that affects use of new behaviors.