ACE Health Coach Certification Practice Test

What model explains a client's motivation to engage in exercise after a family health scare?

1. Self-efficacy

2. Transtheoretical model of behavior change

3. Health belief model

4. Coping strategies

The correct answer is: Health belief model

The Health Belief Model is well-suited to explain a client's motivation to engage in exercise following a family health scare. This model posits that an individual's likelihood of taking health-related action is influenced by their perceptions of the severity of a health issue, their susceptibility to it, the benefits of taking a preventive action, and the barriers to taking that action. In this scenario, the family health scare likely heightened the individual's awareness of health risks and their own susceptibility to similar issues. The experience could create a sense of urgency and promote a belief in the benefits of exercise as a means to mitigate these risks. Thus, the individual is motivated to adopt healthier behaviors, such as exercising regularly, to improve their health and potentially avoid similar concerns in the future. The other models mentioned may inform aspects of health behavior, but when it comes specifically to the influence of perceived threats to health and the motivation to engage in preventive action, the Health Belief Model is the most applicable framework in this context.