摘要：This paper analyzes the beliefs on thirteen behaviors related to cardiovascular health, identified in three studies that used the same method using adult samples diagnosed with and without cardiovascular diseases. All the studies were based on the Health Belief Model and they had several objectives, among these objectives were to identify (a) the knowledge that the behavior should be practiced, (b) the perceived benefits, (c) the perceived barriers, and (d) the level of adherence to them, according to self report. In the first study the sample was composed by 50 men, 100 men with cardiovascular problems participated in the second study, and in the third the sample was 61 hypertensive subjects, most of them female. The results showed that some behaviors are more identified with cardiovascular health than others, that there is high accordance that the behaviors must be practiced, but low adherence to them, and that the perceived benefits are related to general health, to cardiovascular health or to others systems’ health, and to well-being. The perceived barriers varied depending of the behavior nature, so that to food restrictions it was the pleasure of eating limitation; the lack of time was the cause to not exercising and not resting; to do exams and to see the doctor, just in case of need or a symptom; to avoid worries, not smoking and to follow a diet to lose weight are perceived as very difficult tasks to the human being.
关键词：Health Belief Model, cardiovascular disease, benefits, barriers;Modelo de creencias de salud;enfermedades cardiovasculares;beneficios, barreras;Modelo de Crenças em Saúde, doença cardiovascular, benefícios, barreiras
