The theory of planned behavior and healthy eating
Abstract
Application of the theory of planned behavior (TPB) to healthy eating in 144 health promotion clinic attendees is reported. Respondents completed self-report TPB measures after the clinic (Time 1) and 6 months later (Time 2) with a measure of perceived past behavior. Intention stability was assessed on Time 1-2 differences. Six years later (Time 3), respondents completed measures of healthy eating intentions and behavior. Intentions were predicted by attitudes, perceived behavioral control, and perceived past behavior (cross-sectionally). Healthy eating behavior (Time 3) was predicted from intentions (Time 2). As intention stability increased, intentions and perceived past behavior became stronger and weaker predictors of behavior, respectively. Implications for understanding health cognitions in long-term performance of health behavior are discussed.
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Intention constitutes a motivational force for subsequent behavior that predicts healthy eating behavior.
“Intention, in turn, constitutes a motivational force for subsequent behavior (Fishbein & Ajzen, 2010;Sheeran, 2002) that predicts (healthy) eating behavior (Conner, Norman, & Bell, 2002).”
From Relationships between functional food consumption and individual traits and values: A segmentation approach (2021) · cites this paper as Conner et al., 2002
The research team developed and tested items to evaluate the theoretical constructs of intentions, attitudes, norms, and perceived behavioral control based on the Theory of Planned Behavior.
“For this study, the research team developed and tested items to evaluate the theoretical constructs of intentions, attitudes, norms, and perceived behavior control based on the Theory of Planned Behavior (Conner et al., 2002), which has often been used for other environmentally related behavior change studies (Russell et al., 2017).”
From Waste watchers: A food waste reduction intervention among households in Arizona (2021) · cites this paper as Conner et al., 2002
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- Authors
- Conner, M., Norman, P., & Bell, R.
- Affiliations
- University of Leeds (GB)
- University of Sheffield (GB)
- University of Manchester (GB)
- Venue
- Health Psychology
- Published
- 2002
- Volume
- 21
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 194-201
- ISSN
- 0278-6133 (ISSN-L)
- 1930-7810
- OpenAlex
- W2067728341
- Cited by
- 584
- References
- 49
- Citations by year
- 2026: 12 · 2025: 21 · 2024: 28 · 2023: 29 · 2022: 36 · 2021: 40 · 2020: 30 · 2019: 34 · 2018: 22 · 2017: 29 · 2016: 28 · 2015: 31 · 2014: 29 · 2013: 38 · 2012: 34
- FWCI
- 16.07
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Health Psychology (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Applied Psychology › Behavioral Health and Interventions
- Health Sciences › Nursing › Nutrition and Dietetics › Nutrition, Health and Food Behavior
- Social Sciences › Arts and Humanities › Literature and Literary Theory › Media Influence and Health
- Keywords
- theory of planned behavior, healthy eating, dietary habits, behavioral intention, perceived behavioral control, attitudes, health cognitions
- MeSH terms
- Adult, Aged, England, Feeding Behavior, Humans, Middle Aged, Motivation, Psychological Theory, Regression Analysis, Health Behavior
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