Associations Among Health Behaviors and Time Perspective in Young Adults: Model Testing with Boot-Strapping Replication

Abstract

Previous research suggests that time perspective relates to health behavior; however, researchers have frequently employed inconsistent operational definitions and have often used projective or unpublished measures. The Zimbardo Time Perspective Inventory was created to provide a sound, objective measure of five distinct time perspective components. We examined the independent prediction of both risky and protective health behaviors from future, hedonistic, and fatalistic time perspective in 1,568 undergraduates using the ZTPI. Health behaviors included alcohol, drug, tobacco, and seat belt use, sex behaviors, and exercise. Future time perspective was related to increased protective and decreased risky health behaviors, whereas hedonism exhibited an opposite pattern though was a stronger predictor; fatalism was related only to health-destructive behaviors. Gender interactions reveal that hedonism is a stronger predictor of risky health behaviors for females.Health behaviors contribute to half of all deaths annually (Mokdad, Marks, Stroup, & Gerberding, 2004). Health-related risk behaviors (e.g., smoking, excessive drinking) are actions that may result in immediate or long-term negative health consequences, whereas health-related protective behaviors (e.g., condom use, seat belt use) are actions that maintain or improve health status. Public health efforts to enhance population health attempt to reduce risk behaviors and to promote protective behaviors (see Healthy People 2010; USDHHS, 2000), and are considered most successful when guided by theory (Fishbein, 2000;Fishbein & Yzer, 2003).Many behavioral theories purport to explain health behavior and to facilitate risk reduction and health promotion. Theories that are purely informational provide incomplete explanations and poor prediction of existing behavior and behavior change; more sophisticated theories recognize the important role played by motivational forces (Fisher & Fisher, 1992;Miller, 1985;Prochaska, DiClemente, & Norcross, 1992). One motivational construct that shows considerable promise in predicting health-related risk and protective behaviors is time perspective.Generally, time perspective refers to the relative temporal orientation that motivates (i.e., guides and influences) an individual's typical actions and goals. Zimbardo and Boyd (1999) theorize that time perspective consists of five factors: past-positive, past-negative, presenthedonistic, present-fatalistic, and future orientation (see Boyd & Zimbardo, 2005, for a thorough discussion). In health-related research, past orientation has demonstrated little explanatory capability among young adults; consequently, the preponderance of research with this population focuses on an analysis of present and future time perspective as predictors of health behavior.Please address correspondence regarding this manuscript to: James M. Henson, Ph.D., Department of Psychology, 244C Mills Godwin Bldg., Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA 23529-0267, Email: jhenson@odu.edu, Telephone: 757-683-5761....

The Mediating Role of Time Perspective in the Relationship between General Self-Efficacy and the Tendency toward Substance Abuse in Female Adolescents

“…The past negative orientation refers to recalling a chaotic past, a cynical attitude toward the past, and probably, the experience of traumatic life events (Boniwell & Zimbardo, 2004). Research shows that future orientation has an inverse relationship with drug abuse (Henson, Carey, & Carey, 2006;Beenstock et al, 2010). Addicts have high scores in past negative, present hedonistic, and present fatalistic factors (Zentsova & Leonov, 2013); the present hedonistic and past negative time perspectives significantly predict alcohol consumption and substance abuse (Chavarria, Allan, Moltisanti, & Taylor, 2015).…”

Zimbardo Time Perspective Inventory: Adaptation for high-schol students from Buenos Aires

“…Se encontró que la orientación futura se asociaba a aspectos positivos, tales como conductas saludables, mejores logros académicos y laborales (Henson, Carey, Carey & Maisto, 2006;Omar, Delgado, de Souza, & Formiga, 2005), así como a la elección de carrera y toma de decisiones sobre el futuro (Nunes Janeiro, 2010) y estrategias de afrontamiento adaptativas (Zaleski, Cycon & Kurc, 2001). El pasado positivo y presente hedonista se asociaron a la morosidad de estudiantes, mientras que quienes se orientaban al futuro, manifestaban mejores rendimientos (González Lomelí, Maytorena, Lohr Escalante & Carreño Cruz, 2006;Horstmanshof & Zimitat, 2007).…”

“…Los análisis que examinaron evidencias de validez de criterio dan cuenta de la calidad psicométrica de la escala. En consonancia con investigaciones que hallaron una orientación temporal futura asociada a mejores desempeños y elección de carrera (González Lomelí et al, 2006;Henson et al, 2006;Horstmanshof & Zimitat, 2007;Omar et al, 2005) se encontró que quienes han repetido de año se orientan a un presente hedonista, aquellos que adeudan asignaturas tienen una visión negativa del pasado, y en el presente prevalece el hedonismo y lo fatalista, así como una menor perspectiva de futuro. Por último, los alumnos que elaboran planes tras el egreso puntuaron más alto en futuro y bajo en presente fatalista.…”

Comportamento adaptativo e perspectivação do futuro: algumas evidências nos contextos da educação e da saúde

“…Num outro trabalho, envolvendo a relação entre a PTF e comportamentos relacionados com a saúde e segurança, que incluíam o uso de drogas, tabaco, álcool e cinto de segurança, os comportamentos sexuais e o exercício físico, verificou-se que uma PTF estava relacionada com um aumento de comportamentos protectores e com uma diminuição de comportamentos de risco (Henson, Carey, Carey, & Maisto, 2006). Um outro exemplo é ainda a correlação significativa encontrada, numa população de jovens adultos, entre pontuações elevadas na PTF e resultados elevados para comportamentos positivos relacionados com a saú-de (Mahon, Yarcheski, & Yarcheski, 1997).…”