In Pender's health promotion model, the person is the central focus.

Let me explain the heart of a well-loved nursing theory in a way that sticks. When we talk about Pender’s Health Promotion Model, the big question isn’t just about what behaviors count as health-promoting. It’s about who gets to be the center of the story. After all, in health care, the person—yes, the actual individual—should be the focus, not just a set of symptoms or a checklist of tasks.

The person in Pender’s eyes isn’t a passive recipient. It’s easy to slip into a mindset that health care is something done to people, by clinicians, with policies and programs shaping their days. Pender pushes back on that. She grounds health promotion in the idea that people are active agents in their own health journeys. They have perceptions, past experiences, and beliefs that shape what they do—and what they choose not to do. So, when we ask, “Who is the person?” the answer isn’t a demographic label or a role in a care setting. It’s the individual who is the primary focus of the model.

A quick map of the idea

Let’s imagine the model as a compass. The person sits at the center, surrounded by influences and choices that shape health behaviors. The core message is simple but powerful: health promotion happens best when people are seen in their wholeness, with their goals, values, and everyday realities in view. This means recognizing that:

• The person brings unique characteristics and experiences to every health decision.

• The decisions aren’t made in a vacuum; they’re influenced by beliefs, emotions, social ties, and the environment.

• The outcomes aren’t just “staying out of trouble” or “following orders.” They’re about meaningful, doable steps toward better well-being.

If you’ve ever thought about a patient as a bundle of diagnoses, you’re standing on the verge of missing the point. Pender invites us to widen the lens: who is this person, really? What do they value? What do they fear? What supports or obstacles stand in the way of healthier choices?

The options people might imagine

A common multiple-choice trap—literally the kind of question you might see in a quiz—asks who the person is in the model. Here’s the gist, without the test vibes:

• A passive entity in the healthcare system

• The individual who is the primary focus of the model

• The collective societal group

• The healthcare provider

The right choice is the second option: the individual who is the primary focus of the model. Why? Because Pender’s theory centers on the person as an active participant. The model treats health promotion as a personal project, driven by what the person believes will help them feel better, live longer, and participate more fully in life.

What makes the person the centerpiece

Let’s break it down into bite-sized pieces you can tuck away for quick recall.

• Perceived benefits and barriers: The person weighs what they’ll gain from a given health behavior and what might hold them back. If the perceived benefits outweigh the barriers, change feels more possible.

• Perceived self-efficacy: Belief in one’s own ability to perform a specific action is a powerful driver. When people feel capable, they’re more likely to take the first small steps.

• Activity-related affect: How does the activity feel in the moment? A walk around the block might feel refreshing to one person and exhausting to another. The emotional resonance matters.

• Interpersonal and situational influences: Family, friends, culture, and the physical setting all shape decisions. Health isn’t created in isolation; it grows in conversation and routine.

• Commitment to a plan of action and competing demands: Plans matter, but real life has competing priorities. The model acknowledges that goals need to fit into daily life, not the other way around.

All of this centers the person as a dynamic agent. They’re not a blank slate; they’re a living, breathing constellation of motives, fears, resources, and relationships. And when we honor that in care, we’re more likely to see sustainable health improvements—because the actions people actually take line up with what they believe, what they value, and what they can reasonably do.

Why this matters in nursing care

For students and practitioners alike, the person-centered stance changes how you approach care plans, education, and collaboration. If you treat the person as a partner, you’re more likely to:

• Tailor information to what matters to them, not just what clinicians assume they need.

• Build confidence by naming and strengthening self-efficacy: “You can do this, and here’s a small step to start.”

• Leverage social support: Bring in family or peers who share the goal, making the path less lonely.

• Adapt to context: A plan that fits a person’s work schedule, transportation, and finances is more likely to stick.

Think about it as a collaboration. The nurse brings knowledge, tools, and encouragement; the person brings preferences, daily rhythms, and meaningful outcomes. The model suggests that when these elements align, health-promoting behaviors become less of a burden and more of a natural choice.

A real-life anchor: a simple analogy

Here’s a familiar image: gardening. A gardener wants a plant to thrive. The gardener doesn’t just water it and hope for the best; they observe, adjust sunlight, check the soil, and choose companions (companion plants, mulch, pest management). The plant’s growth depends on a mix of internal readiness (the seed’s potential) and external care (water, light, nutrients). Pender’s person is like the plant’s owner—someone who makes decisions day by day, driven by what they believe will help the plant flourish.

In clinical life, this translates to conversations that invite the person to share what motivates them. It’s not just “What should you do?” but “What would work for you given your life, your values, and your resources?” When you frame care this way, you reduce resistance and build a partnership that feels more human.

Common misunderstandings—and how to shift them

• Misunderstanding: Health behavior is just a matter of willpower.

Truth: It’s a tapestry of beliefs, barriers, support, and context. Willpower is part of the picture, but not the whole story.

• Misunderstanding: The model ignores culture or social factors.

Truth: Interpersonal and situational influences are woven in; culture, family dynamics, and community resources shape choices.

• Misunderstanding: The person is passive in the care process.

Truth: The model elevates the person as an active agent—the driver of their own health journey.

Quick takeaways you can carry into study and practice

• The core idea: The person is the central focus, an active agent in health-promoting actions.

• Key components to watch for: perceived benefits, perceived barriers, self-efficacy, affect, and the social-situational context.

• What this means for care: Start with the person’s goals, frame information to match their values, and support small, doable steps that fit their life.

• How to remember the name: Pender’s Health Promotion Model puts the person in the spotlight and treats health as a shared project between person and practitioner.

A couple of practical questions to test understanding (without the exam vibe)

• If a patient believes a weekly 20-minute walk will improve mood but worries about weather and transportation, how might you adjust the plan to keep motivation high?

• How can you bolster self-efficacy when a patient says, “I’ve tried to change before and failed”?

The big takeaway

Pender’s approach isn’t about box-checking a routine. It’s a reminder that health is personal. The person—the active, thinking, feeling individual—directs what health looks like in daily life. When nurses and students place that person at the center, care becomes more than a set of tasks. It becomes a shared journey toward well-being, one where opportunities for growth show up in small, everyday choices.

If you’re studying this material, here’s a friendly nudge: whenever you encounter a description of a behavior, ask who is at the center of that description. Is the focus on a system, a population, a provider, or the person living with the health decision? The more you keep the person front and center, the more you’ll see how Pender’s model breathes life into health promotion.

A couple of reflective prompts to end on

• In your own words, how would you describe the person in Pender’s model to a friend who isn’t in health care?

• Can you think of a time you or someone you know made a small health change because it felt doable and connected to personal goals? What helped that change stick?

The bottom line: the individual as the primary focus

In the end, it isn’t about a perfect protocol or a one-size-fits-all plan. It’s about recognizing the person as the protagonist in their health story, with the nurse as a trusted guide. That perspective, at its core, makes health promotion feel less like a mandate and more like a shared, hopeful endeavor. And that shift—toward seeing the person as an active, capable agent—has a way of transforming how care is carried out in real life, day by day.

If you’re building your understanding of nursing theories, keep this image handy: the person sits at the center, surrounded by experiences, beliefs, and social nudges, all of which converge to shape health behaviors. When you frame care through that lens, you’re practicing not just theory, but thoughtful, human-centered care. The kind that makes a real difference in people’s lives.