Transcript Slide 1

Healthy Eating and Consumers’
Food Related Beliefs
Paul Naughton, AFRC & UCC
Dr. Sinead McCarthy, AFRC
Dr. Mary McCarthy, UCC
Outline of the presentation
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Introduction to the study
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Social cognition approach to understanding human behaviour
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Social Cognitive Models (SCMs)
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Motivational Models
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Behavioural Enaction Models
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Proposed Health Behaviour Model
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Conclusion and future research
Introduction
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Purpose: To investigate the determinants of healthy eating behaviours among
Irish people
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Definition of Healthy Eating: Balanced diet
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The role of healthy eating in health outcomes
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+ Foods high in fibre such as wholemeal products, vegetables and fruits
- Foods high in saturated fats and refined grains
Unhealthy diets are associated with cardiovascular disease, hypertension, type two
diabetes, strokes, certain cancers and even a range of mental conditions (COM, 2007).
Obesity is a global epidemic (WHO, 1998)
Excess calorie consumption and/or inadequate physical activity are the main sources of
overweight and obesity for the majority of people (IMO, 2006)
Definition of Health behaviours: Any action undertaken by an individual for the
purpose of detecting and preventing disease or for improving or maintaining good
health and well-being (Conner and Norman, 2005).
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Diet is a self-directed health behaviour
Social cognition approach to health behaviour
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Social cognition is concerned with how individuals make sense of social
situations. This approach focuses on individual cognitions or thoughts as
processes which intervene between observable stimuli and responses in real world
situations (Fiske and Taylor, 1991).
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Predicting health behaviours and the importance of social cognitive factors
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Research suggests that there are a variety of factors that account for individual
differences in propensity to undertake health behaviours.
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Intrinsic factors pertaining to the individual (e.g. socio-demographic variables,
cognitions)
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Extrinsic factors related to the environment (e.g. government regulations).
Social cognitive factors are considered to be the most important proximal
determinants of health behaviours (Conner and Norman, 2005)
Social Cognitive Models (SCMs)
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Several models of health behaviour have been designed in an attempt to identify
and describe the social cognitive factors that are related to the performance of
health behaviours.
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Social cognition models are based on the assumption that an individuals behaviour
is best understood in terms of his or her perceptions of the social environment.
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Armitage and Conner (2000) distinguish three types of SCMs:
1.
2.
3.
Motivational models
Behavioural enaction models
Multi-stage models
Motivational models
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Motivational
Health Belief Model (HBM)
Perceived
Susceptibility
Maladaptive
response
Perceived
Severity
Vulnerability
Action
Adaptive
response
Perceived
benefits
Response
efficacy
Cues to action
Coping
Appraisal
Social Pressure
Severity
Protection
motivation
Health
Motivation
Psychological
Characteristics
Intrinsic &
extrinsic
rewards
Threat
Appraisal
Demographic
Variables
models focus on the factors Protection
that underlie
individuals’ decisions to
Motivation Theory (PMT)
perform or not perform health enhancing behaviours.
Response
costs
Self-efficacy
Internal
Physical symptom
Perceived
barriers
External
Norman et al. (2005)
Media
Personality
Abraham and Sheeran (2005)
Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB)
Behavioural
beliefs
Social Cognitive Theory (SCT)
Outcome
expectations
Attitude
Physical
Social
Self-evaluative
Normative
beliefs
Control beliefs
Ajzen (2009)
Subjective
norm
Intention
Behaviour
Self-efficacy
Goals
Scio-structural
factors
Perceived
behavioural
control
Facilitators
Impediments
Bandura, 2000
Bandura (2000)
Behaviour
Behaviour
Motivational models (continued)
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Research concerned with developing models which explain the role of cognitive
variables in the motivational phase is dominant
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Motivational models are rooted in expectancy-value theory
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The implication is that all four may be combined
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Major theorists model of behaviour (1991)
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The TPB has been identified as the most impressive of the motivational models
vis-à-vis the amount of variance in intention and behaviour explained.
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The constructs in the HBM, PMT and SCT are poorly defined
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The major criticism of motivational models is the intention-behaviour gap
Behavioural enaction models
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Behavioural enaction models are principally concerned with improving
intention-behaviour relations
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Gollwitzer (1993) elaborated on the intention construct making a distinction
between goal intentions and implementation intentions.
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Focus is on action control strategies in order to ensure that motivation is translated into
behaviour.
Implementation intentions commit the individual to a specific course of action when
certain environmental conditions are met.
Bagozzi (1992) proposed that desires provide the motivational impetus for
intentions. The belief constructs established in motivational models work through
desires to influence (energise) intentions.
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Perugini and Bagozzi (2001) developed the Model of Goal directed Behaviour (MGB)
Proposed Health Behaviour Model
Modifying Factors
Health Motivation
Perceived
susceptibility
Demographic
variables
Threat Appraisal
Implementation
Intention
Perceived
severity
Past
experience/family
problems
Self-identity
Advantages/
disadvantages
Cooking skills
Normative
beliefs
Knowledge
Attitudes
Moral norm
Environmental
influences
Anticipated
Emotions
Perceived
barriers
TPB
Behavioural
Intention
Subjective norm
Personality
Personal Goals
Desires
Habit
Self-efficacy
HBM
PMT
SCT
MGB
Major theorists model of behaviour
Gollwitzer
New Constructs
Behaviour
Conclusion and future research
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According to Armitage and Conner (2000), through the extensive research using
motivational models we have developed a clear idea of the social cognitive
determinants of intentions. It is now imperative to take a closer look at the theories
which outline how those intentions may be put into effect.
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Proposed Research
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A general model of health behaviour should be able to encapsulate both intention
formation and behavioural enaction.
Semi-structured interviews
Self-completion Questionnaires
Significance and Industry Impact of Study
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This study will contribute to an improved understanding of peoples food related health
beliefs, attitudes and motivations and this should enable food companies to optimise
their business strategies to meet the needs and wants of health conscious consumers
It will provide evidence based policy recommendations to government agencies
seeking to change consumer behaviour.
Thank you for your
attention