Conceptual models in health behavior: learning, community, and belief frameworks
During the 1950's, the Health Belief model (HBM) was developed from the field of social psychology. The theoretical framework offers an explanation of why individuals are motivated to participate in preventive health behaviors. The model has five perception constructs of susceptibility, severity, benefits, barriers, and cues to action. In this setting the HBM predicts what prevention behaviors diabetic patients will engage in to avoid foot pathology and ultimately amputation. Current research indicates that the Health Belief Model (HBM) is the most common model used to study health- related behaviors. According to Ganz, Rimer, and Lewis (2002) an assumption of this model indicates people are more inclined to demonstrate disease prevention activities when they perceive (a) an increased susceptibility to the illness; (b) the illness is severe; (c) the actions are valuable; (d) the behavior has few obstacles; and (e) are prompted to execute the actions.
Predatory Lending and the Subprime
The subprime mortgage industry relaxes numerous conventional under- writing standards in order to lend to less creditworthy customers. Many of the newly relaxed standards benefit lenders and borrowers alike. Examples include legitimate risk-based subprime loans to trustworthy borrowers with credit blemishes or scant credit histories, and loans with reduced down payment requirements or higher loan-to-value ratios (Engel & McCoy, 2011). In some segments of the subprime loan industry, however, lenders over- ride conventional lending norms by structuring loans to inflict seriously disproportionate net harm on borrowers. When the harm outweighs the benefit of loans to borrowers and society at large, such practices are predatory. One of the most compelling examples involves violations of the norm that no mortgage shall be made to a home owner who lacks the ability to repay, a practice known as asset-based lending.' All too often, these loans force borrowers into bankruptcy or foreclosure Victims of asset-based lending frequently default, which can lead to an- other predatory lending phenomenon, ?loan flipping.? Loan flipping occurs when lenders persuade home owners to refinance their mortgages at short, repeated intervals, as often as three or four times a year.