Health understanding and its effect on health outcome

Abstract

Literature regarding health belief models, health understanding and their effect on health outcome is reviewed. Aspects of the major elements comprising health understanding- including lay explanations of illness, locus of control and the affective meaning of symptoms - are described. The particular problems posed by utilising these models in a developing Middle Eastern country are discussed, together with the importance of applied research to assess the feasibility of improving health outcome by enhanced health understanding.