Understanding Adherence to 5 Servings of Fruits and Vegetables per Day: A Theory of Planned Behavior Perspective
Abstract
Objective
The primary purpose of the present study was to examine the utility of the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) in explaining the 5-A-Day intentions and behavior of college students. A secondary purpose was to determine whether any of the TPB relationships were moderated by gender or ethnicity.
Design
A prospective design that asked college students to complete a baseline TPB 5-A-Day questionnaire and a fruit and vegetable consumption measure 1 week later.
Setting
Undergraduate fitness and health classes at 2 universities in the southern United States.
Participants
511 college students with a mean age of 19.8 years (standard deviation = 2.71).
Main Outcome Measures
TPB variables and fruit and vegetable consumption.
Analyses
Path analyses and invariance (ie, to examine ethnic and gender moderated) analyses.
Results
Affective attitude (β = .16, P < .05) and perceived behavioral control (β = .59, P < .05) were significant predictors of intention, which in turn was a significant predictor of behavior (β = .32, P < .05). Follow-up invariance analyses showed that none of the TPB relationships was moderated by gender or ethnicity.
Conclusions and Implications
The TPB may be a useful framework on which to base a 5-A-Day intervention for male and female college students of different ethnic backgrounds.
1Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
2Health and Physical Education, School of Education, Clark Atlanta University, Atlanta, Georgia
3School of Applied Physiology, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia
4School of Psychology, University of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
5Department of Applied Health Science, Indiana University, Bloomington
6Behavioral Medicine Laboratory, Kinesiology Program, School of Physical Education, University of Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
7Faculty of Physical Education, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
8Department of Behavioral Sciences and Community Health, School of Public Health, New York Medical College, Valhalla, New York
Address for correspondence: Chris M. Blanchard, Dalhousie University, Department of Medicine, QEII Health Sciences Centre, Room 205, Centre for Clinical Research, 5790 University Avenue, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada B3H 1V7; Phone: (902) 473-3789; Fax: (902) 473-6869
This project was supported by a Research Centers in Minority Institutions award, #G12RR03062, from the National Center for Research Resources, National Institutes of Health.
ABSTRACT