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Health-Promoting and Health-Risk Behaviors: Theory-Driven Analyses of Multiple Health Behavior Change in Three International Samples

BACKGROUND: Co-occurrence of different behaviors was investigated using the theoretical underpinnings of the Transtheoretical Model, the Theory of Triadic Influence and the concept of Transfer. PURPOSE: To investigate relationships between different health behaviors' stages of change, how behav...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores principales: Lippke, Sonia, Nigg, Claudio R., Maddock, Jason E.
Formato: Online Artículo Texto
Lenguaje:English
Publicado: Springer US 2011
Materias:
Acceso en línea:https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3277822/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21234735
http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s12529-010-9135-4
Descripción
Sumario:BACKGROUND: Co-occurrence of different behaviors was investigated using the theoretical underpinnings of the Transtheoretical Model, the Theory of Triadic Influence and the concept of Transfer. PURPOSE: To investigate relationships between different health behaviors' stages of change, how behaviors group, and whether study participants cluster in terms of their behaviors. METHOD: Relationships across stages for different behaviors were assessed in three studies with N = 3,519, 965, and 310 individuals from the USA and Germany by telephone and internet surveys using correlational analyses, factor analyses, and cluster analyses. RESULTS: Consistently stronger correlations were found between nutrition and physical activity (r = 0.16–0.26, p < 0.01) than between non-smoking and nutrition (r = 0.08–0.16, p < 0.03), or non-smoking and physical activity (r = 0.01–0.21). Principal component analyses of investigated behaviors indicated two factors: a “health-promoting” factor and a “health-risk” factor. Three distinct behavioral patterns were found in the cluster analyses. CONCLUSION: Our results support the assumption that individuals who are in a higher stage for one behavior are more likely to be in a higher stage for another behavior as well. If the aim is to improve a healthy lifestyle, success in one behavior can be used to facilitate changes in other behaviors—especially if the two behaviors are both health-promoting or health-risky. Moreover, interventions should be targeted towards the different behavioral patterns rather than to single behaviors. This might be achieved by addressing transfer between behaviors.