The motivation to eat a healthy diet: How intenders and nonintenders differ in terms of risk perception, outcome expectancies, self-efficacy, and nutrition behavior.

According to health behavior theories, health behaviors are governed by intentions and health beliefs, such as risk perception, outcome expectancies, and self-efficacy beliefs. The present study deals with the role that these factors play when it comes to adopting or maintaining a healthy diet. Moreover, objective parameters, such as age, gender, body weight, blood pressure, and total cholesterol, were considered. In a sample of 1,782 men and women between 14 and 87 years of age, it was found that risk perception was more closely related to objective parameters than to social-cognitive variables and self-reported nutrition. The intention to adhere to a healthier diet served as a mediator between self-efficacy, outcome expectancies, and risk perception on the one hand, and preventive nutrition on the other. In addition, intention was specified as a moderator, making a distinction between nonintenders and intenders. It turned out that these two groups were differently motivated to eat healthy foods.