Exercise and Healthy Eating Intentions and Behaviors among Normal Weight and Overweight/Obese Adults

Abstract

Strong evidence suggests that exercise and eating behaviours are strongly linked. Theory of Planned Behaviour is a theoretical framework that has been successfully used to explain and predict both behaviours. The aim of the present study is to explore the constructs of Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) that better predicts exercise and healthy eating: a) intentions and b) selfreported behaviors among normal weight and overweight/obese adults. Participants were 361 adults in Greece (women: N = 152). According to their BMI scores, they have been grouped into normal weight and overweight/obese. Data were collected with an online questionnaire assessing variables of the theory of planned behavior (TPB) toward exercise and healthy eating intentions and behaviors. Correlations between the variables of TPB and behaviors (healthy eating and exercise) were higher in the normal weight group than in the overweight/obese group. The strongest predictor of intention to exercise was perceived behavioral control for both groups with the overweight/obese group showing higher values in comparison to normal weight group values. The same associations emerged for the prediction of intention for healthy eating behavior. The attitude was also a statistically significant predictor for both groups with higher values in normal weight group. The strongest predictor of exercise behavior was the intention, whereas for eating behavior significant predictors were attitudes, intentions and perceived behavioral control. TPB framework explained both intentions and behaviors for exercise and healthy eating of normal weight and overweight/obese adults. Initial information on which TPB constructs explain better intentions and behaviors by group implied that normal weight group has more positive exercise and healthy eating attitudes and intentions than the overweight/obese group; the behaviors of the overweight/obese group were explained better by perceived behavioral control. The above information can be used to design more effective interventions that aim to produce changes in both behaviors.

Value of Aspect Differences Towards Theory of Planned Behavior Between Hospital Personnels of a Private Hospital in Mataram

“…Table 13 shows that the groups suffering overweight indicated an intention to reduce body weight which is higher than that of those in the group of subjects with normal weight. Besides this, in accord with the Theory of Planned Behavior (Ajzen & Fishbein, 1980), the size of the values of Intention indicate that the overweight groups have the readiness to, and a quite good possibility of success in, reducing their bodily weight (Iffah, 2011;Mappaompo, 2010;McConnon et al, 2012;Psouni, Hassandra, & Theodorakis, 2016;Sargowo & Andarini, 2011), so that the hospital can give support by providing an exercise programme or one for regulating eating patterns, assisted by the oversight of hospital nutrition experts. Based upon the Theory of Planned Behavior, Intention will be boosted by the other aspects, i.e., those of Attitude Toward Behavior, Subjective Norms, and Perceived Behavioral Control.…”

“…On the basis of the Theory of Planned Behavior, it is said that the Intention of a person to perform a particular behavior will be prompted by Subjective Norms, Attitudes Toward Behavior, and Perceived Behavioral Control. Further to this, several pieces of research have found that of the three factors, the Attitude Toward Behavior and the Perceived Behavioral Control factors have greater relationships in determining the intention to perform a behavior (Gronhoj, Bech-Larsen, Chan, & Tsang, 2012;Psouni et al, 2016;Truong, 2009). Nonetheless, in this research, it could be seen that there was no significant difference in the Perceived Behavioral Control scores of the three groups.…”

Predicting Healthy Eating Intentions in Saudi Adults

“…The findings also indicated that positive ATT was the most important predictor of behavioral INT and HE behaviors and of the beliefs of our subject about the possible attributes of performing HE behavior. Similarly, Psouni et al [19] found ATT significant predictors of HE intentions among 361 adults from Greece, especially among normal weight subjects. Staunton et al [20] found that ATT was positively associated with HE INT; 119 students from an Australian university held favorable ATT, which inferred that their family and friends approved of eating healthily, and they reported higher INT to eat healthily.…”

Protocol for Moving On: a randomized controlled trial to increase outcome expectations and exercise among breast cancer survivors

“…Another important consideration is the correlation between diet and exercise behaviour change. Often when a person improves dietary practices, they also improve physical activity levels (Psouni, Chasandra, & Theodorakis, 2016). As the attention control group will receive dietary information, they may improve their dietary practices.…”