In order to test the usefulnes of the Health Belief Model (a model designed to measure health practices, attitudes, and knowledge), a survey of Potter County, Pennsylvania was conducted, and 283 responses from adult females without chronic illnesses were analyzed. The dependent variables employed were regulating diet and getting regular exercise. Drawn from the model, the following 4 independent variables were analyzed: perceived susceptibility to heart disease, perceived difficulty of participating in the 2 selected preventive health practices, knowledge of calories, and preventive health actions taken during the last year. The control variables included: age, income, education, and organizational participation. Findings indicated: (1) perceived susceptibility was not related to either eating habits or physical activity; (2) perceived difficulty of the preventive behavior was positively correlated with both dependent variables; (3) knowledge of calories was positively related to getting regular exercise; (4) education was positively correlated with preventive eating habits. It was concluded that health educators would find it useful to attempt to reduce perceived barriers to preventive health by initiating child care facilities, food preparation study groups, etc. (JC)