BEYOND AWARENESS: MULTILEVEL DETERMINANTS OF PREVENTIVE HEALTH-SEEKING BEHAVIOUR

Abstract

Preventive health-seeking behaviour remains central to reducing the global burden of non-communicable diseases and strengthening health systems. However, despite widespread awareness of preventive measures, uptake of screening, monitoring, and lifestyle-based interventions remains inconsistent across populations. This review addresses the problem of the persistent gap between awareness and action in preventive health behaviour. The objective is to synthesise empirical and theoretical evidence on multilevel determinants and explain why knowledge does not consistently translate into sustained preventive practices. The study is guided by the Health Belief Model, Andersen’s Behavioural Model of Health Services Use, and the Social Ecological Model. A narrative review design was adopted, drawing on peer-reviewed literature published between 2020 and 2025 and analysed using thematic synthesis. Findings indicate that preventive health-seeking behaviour is shaped by cognitive, socio-economic, cultural, institutional, and structural determinants operating across multiple levels. While perceived susceptibility and self-efficacy influence motivation, enabling resources such as income, insurance coverage, and service availability determine actual utilisation. Organisational pressures, cultural expectations, and health system limitations further constrain engagement. The review concludes that preventive behaviour is structurally conditioned rather than purely individual. It recommends integrated interventions combining health education, systemic reform, workplace health support, and strengthened health service delivery to improve sustained preventive engagement.