TITLE:
Exercise and Healthy Eating Intentions and Behaviors among Normal Weight and Overweight/Obese Adults
AUTHORS:
Stavroula Psouni, Mary Hassandra, Yannis Theodorakis
KEYWORDS:
Theory of Planned Behavior, Exercise Behavior, Healthy Eating Behavior, Normal Weight, Overweight
JOURNAL NAME:
Psychology,
Vol.7 No.4,
April
27,
2016
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) self-
reported 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.