Open AccessPredicting Healthy Eating: Conscientiousness versus the Health Belief Model
Author(s) -
Claudia Dumitrescu,
Claudia I. Iacob
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
romanian journal of applied psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.102
H-Index - 1
eISSN - 2392-845X
pISSN - 2392-8441
DOI - 10.24913/rjap.23.1.03
Subject(s) - conscientiousness , psychology , healthy eating , predictive value , personality , multilevel model , self efficacy , health belief model , clinical psychology , developmental psychology , social psychology , big five personality traits , medicine , health education , public health , physical activity , physical therapy , statistics , extraversion and introversion , mathematics , nursing
The present paper aimed to investigate the incremental validity of conscientiousness over the Health Belief Model (i.e., HBM) components in predicting students' eating habits. Using a non-experimental, longitudinal design, data from 200 Romanian students (181 females; Mage = 20.75, SDage = 3.89) were initially collected (T1). After one month (T2), the second wave of data was received from 150 students. Hierarchical regression results with eating habits from T2 as a criterion showed that self-efficacy for healthy eating was the only significant predictor for students' eating habits (β = .45, t(145) = 5.41, p < .01). Self-efficacy alone explained 27% of the variance in eating habits. Contrary to expectations, the perceived benefits of healthy eating did not correlate with the participants' eating habits. Conscientiousness did not bring additional predictive value, besides the HBM components (β = .03 , t(145) = .38, p = .70 ). These results reinforce the value of the HBM as a frame of reference for explaining eating habits in young people. From a practical standpoint, the findings suggest the need to strengthen self-efficacy in youth, which, in turn, can help them develop healthier eating habits. Limitations and other implications were further discussed.