Friday, April 1, 2011
Exhibit Hall Poster Area 2 (Convention Center)
BACKGROUND: According to the Theory of Planned Behavior, the single best predictor of a person's behavior was the intention to perform that behavior. Successful application of the TPB has supported that attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control were all predictive factors of intention to engage in behavior. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to examine the extent behavioral intention (BI) predicted four behaviors linked to childhood obesity in adolescents. METHODS: A cross-sectional design was utilized to obtain a convenience sample of 318 middle school students. A 129-item valid and reliable instrument was administered during health classes. Multiple regression was used to establish the predictors for each behavior. RESULTS: The mean BI scores for the behaviors were as follows: screen time behaviors (M = 12.31, SD = 5.42); physical activity (M = 12.84, SD = 7.18); fruit and vegetable consumption (M = 12.18, SD = 5.74); sweetened beverages versus water consumption (M = 12.42, SD = 6.07) – denoting a moderate intent to participate in the behavior. Regression results showed that BI was predictive for screen time among overweight students, participation in physical activity among all students, consumption of fruits and vegetables among overweight students, and consumption of water versus sweetened beverages in normal weight students (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Behavioral intention was linked to the four behaviors related to obesity prevention in adolescents. Differences among those students who were considered normal weight and at risk of overweight/overweight existed, and should be considered when designing future educational programs.