Health belief model is a socio-psychological model that explains and attempts to predict preventative health behaviours (can include vaccines, blood pressure medication, exercise routines, etc.).

It is based on the assumption that a person will take a health-related action if he or she feels a negative health condition can be avoided, has a positive expectation that by taking a recommended action he or she will avoid a negative health condition, and believes that he or she can successfully take a recommended health action.

The HBM contains four constructs: perceived susceptibility, perceived severity, perceived benefits, and perceived barriers. These constructs account for people's "readiness to act". An added concept, cues to action, activates that readiness and stimulates overt behaviour. A recent addition to the HBM is the concept of self-efficacy, or a person's confidence in their ability to successfully perform an action.