Social-cognitive predictors of dietary behaviors in South Korean men and women.

BACKGROUND: Eating a diet that is high in vitamins and low in fat is considered to be governed by social-cognitive factors, such as intentions, planning, self-efficacy, and outcome expectancies. PURPOSE: A longitudinal field study was designed to examine the interrelationships of these factors with dietary behaviors. METHOD: In 697 South Korean men and women, objective health-risk status was assessed at Time 1 (cholesterol, blood pressure, and body mass index) in conjunction with self-efficacy, outcome expectancies, and intentions. At Time 2, six months later, coping self-efficacy, planning, and dietary behaviors were measured. A two-group structural equation model for men and women was specified to determine the relations of distal and proximal predictors of a healthy diet. RESULTS: Self-efficacy was of equal predictive power in men and women, whereas intentions and planning were relevant only in women. Objective risk status was associated with intentions in women but not in men. CONCLUSIONS: Results confirm the predictive power of the Health Action Process Approach and point to the role of gender in the self-regulation of dietary behaviors.

Does age make a difference? Predicting physical activity of South Koreans.

Social cognition models of health behavior are commonly understood as being universal, which implies that they are applicable to groups varying in age or cultural background, for example. Cultural uniqueness and characteristics of life-span development, however, necessitate the study of differential effects. Accordingly, the health action process approach (HAPA) was examined in younger and middle-aged/older adults from South Korea (N = 697) who participated in a longitudinal health screening study with a 6-month time lag. The HAPA model had a good fit within the middle-aged/older adult sample. Physical activity was predicted by planning, coping self-efficacy, and intention, which were, in turn, predicted by action self-efficacy, outcome expectancies, and risk perceptions. Conversely, the results indicated a poor model fit in the younger adult sample. The results suggest a different motivation for the involvement in physical activity as a function of age.