Association between the Health Belief Model, Exercise, and Nutrition Behaviors during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic has affected our nation’s health further than the infection it causes. Physical activity levels and dietary intake have suffered while individuals grapple with the changes in behavior to reduce viral transmission. With unique nuances regarding the access to physical activity and nutrition during the pandemic, the constructs of Health Belief Model (HBM) may present themselves differently in nutrition and exercise behaviors compared to precautions implemented to reduce viral transmission studied in previous research. The purpose of this study was to investigate the extent of exercise and nutritional behavior change during the COVID-19 pandemic and explain the reason for and extent of this change using HBM constructs (perceived susceptibility, severity, benefit of action, and barriers to action). Methods: This study used a cross-sectional design to collect 206 surveys. This survey collected information on self-reported exercise and nutrition changes during the pandemic and self-reported levels of the HBM constructs. Results: Findings showed individuals with medium or high exercise behavior change had greater odds of increased HBM score than individuals with little to no exercise behavior change (OR = 1.117, 95% CI: 1.020–1.223, SE: 0.0464, p = 0.0175). There was no association between nutritional behavior change and HBM score (OR = 1.011, 95% CI: 0.895–1.142, p = 08646). Conclusion: Individuals who reported a more drastic change in either exercise had greater odds of increased feelings of perceived susceptibility and severity related to COVID-19 and decreased perceived benefits and increased barriers to exercise. This relationship was not found regarding nutrition behavior change. These results encourage public health practitioners to understand how an individual’s perceived feelings about a threat may affect exercise and nutritional behaviors.

Analysis of Actual Fitness Supplement Consumption among Health and Fitness Enthusiasts

“…Thus, respondents do not perceive the consistent intake of gym supplements as a preventive measure against health-related issues, which aligns with how consuming these supplements does not aid in building good health or contribute to an individual's well-being. These findings are consistent with the study by Kiely et al [74], which investigated the health behaviors of individuals during the pandemic. It was found that perceived benefit had no statistical significance toward a change in exercise behavior; individuals' perceptions of the benefits of exercise did not strongly correlate with their actual exercise behavior changes.…”

COVID-19-induced changes to food consumption and perceived well-being among low-income consumers in Trinidad and Tobago

“…Our findings thus run counter to previous work, which has found that the combination of susceptibility and severity did not Food consumption and perceived well-being have a strong association with healthy behavior change (e.g. Kiely et al, 2022). While risk perceptions may influence healthy food consumption practices, it appears that excessive negative emotion can motivate individuals to engage in coping behaviors that are not in their best interests.…”

Relationship and mechanisms between internet use and physical exercise among middle- and younger-aged groups

“…Lastly, we also found that Internet use has a more pronounced impact on the younger- and middle-aged population over 35 years of age. According to the Health Belief Model, people aged over 35 years have deeper self-awareness and are more adept at using the Internet to obtain health information and improve their health level [ 60 , 61 ]. This indicates that the Internet can reduce the health disparities among residents of different ages.…”