A systematic review of the effectiveness of the health belief model-based nutrition education for dietary behavior change and chronic disease risk reduction

Background: The health belief model (HBM) provides a theoretical framework to understand and predict health-related behaviors. Numerous studies have shown that HBM-based nutrition education programs are effective in inducing the adoption of healthy dietary behaviors, which is an effective way to prevent diet-related chronic diseases. However, little is known about reviews of existing findings pertaining to the HBM and nutrition education, aiming to highlight the need for a validated HBM-based practical tool that can be adapted and used by program managers or related specialists when developing, implementing, and evaluating nutrition education programs. Aim: This study aims to review the application of the HBM in nutrition education and highlight the need for an HBM-based practical tool that can be consistently used in nutrition education programs. Methods: We searched articles published between 2014 and 2025, which were related to the HBM and nutrition education, using Google Scholar, PubMed, EBSCO, and Taylor & Francis databases. Twelve articles were selected for this review after applying the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Results: Across all the studies reviewed, HBM constructs were consistently shown to be significant predictors of positive dietary behavior changes (p < 0.05). All the articles reviewed indicated that the use of the HBM-based approach is an effective way to improve the effectiveness of nutrition education programs. Conclusion: The HBM can be used to assess and identify the HBM behavioral gaps of individuals, groups, or communities at the beginning of nutrition education programs, which can be subsequently addressed to induce the adoption of healthy dietary behaviors.