Type of Document	Dissertation
Author	Jung, Taejin
Author's Email Address	tj02d@fsu.edu
URN	etd-07062006-120338
Title	The Effects of Discriminate Message Interventions on Behavioral Intentions to Eat Healthy Foods and Engage in Physical Activities
Degree	Doctor of Philosophy
Department	Communication, Department of
Advisory Committee	Advisor Name Title Gary R. Heald Committee Chair Felipe Korzenny Committee Member Isaac Eberstein Committee Member John K. Mayo Committee Member
Keywords	Engage In Physical Activities The Effects Of Discriminate Message. Behavioral In Eat Healthy Foods
Date of Defense	2006-06-12
Availability	unrestricted
Abstract Over the past several decades, overweight and obesity levels have increased throughout the United States. From 1991 to 1999, the BRFSS (Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System) indicates that the greatest increases among obese people occurred in persons with some college education (10.6% to 17.8%), those between the ages of 18 and 29 years (7.1% to 12.1%), and those living in the South Atlantic area (e.g., 71.8% of Florida, 10.1% to 17.4%). The overweight (or obesity) epidemic, especially for college students, is a complex phenomenon without a single cause. Few studies, however, have been done regarding the value of college- and university-based interventions. Studies suggest that those beliefs which discriminate between high-intenders (those who intend to perform a specific behavior) and low-intenders (those who have lesser intentions to perform a specific behavior) may be candidates for communication interventions to enhance audience intentions to perform specific behaviors. This study examines the utility of theory-based discriminate messages designed to increase college students’ intentions to eat healthy food and engage in substantive physical activity. In the present study three research objectives are presented. The first objective is to report the relative contributions of variables in an extended theory of planned behavior model (TPB, plus habit, symbolic modeling, and direct modeling) predicting behavioral intentions to eat healthy food and perform physical activity in direct or indirect ways. A second objective is to give a detailed analysis of underlying cognitive structures corresponding to specific beliefs, which discriminate most between high-intenders and low-intenders. The final objective is to report the effects of discriminated messages in changing behavioral intentions to eat a healthy diet and to perform physical activity following a classroom intervention. Structural Equation Model (SEM), ANOVA, stepwise regression, MANOVA, ANCOVA, and repeated measures ANOVA procedures were used to test the effectiveness of the discriminated messages. The extended TPB model used in this study served as a useful framework for understanding determinants of behavioral intentions of healthy eating and physical activity. Final models in both the healthy eating and physical activity domain showed acceptable fit statistics. For the second objective, a series of discriminating beliefs were selected for persuasive intervention messages in the treatment group. After the message intervention, ANCOVA analyses showed significant higher posttest mean scores for two constructs (e.g., perceived behavioral control (PBC) and behavioral intention) in both the healthy eating and physical activity domains. The repeated measures ANOVA analyses revealed, once again, that treatment group participants were consistently higher than control group participants in the mean scores of behavioral intention and PBC. Moreover, the greatest pre-posttest changes were for the low intenders in the experimental group for both behavioral intention and PBC. Overall, the current study contributes to the literature because it uses a theory-driven approach to develop discriminate messages that can be used to influence college students’ intentions to eat healthy food and to participate in physical activity.
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