deVisser_etal_inPress_guidelines_HEB.pdf (152.91 kB)
Understanding motivation to adhere to guidelines for alcohol intake, physical activity, and fruit and vegetable intake among U.K. university students
journal contribution
posted on 2023-06-09, 23:44 authored by Richard De VisserRichard De Visser, Dominic Conroy, Emma Davies, Richard CookeBackground: To encourage people to lead healthier lifestyles, governments in many countries publish guidelines for alcohol intake, physical activity (PA), and fruit and vegetable (FV) intake. However, there is a need for better understanding of whether people understand such guidelines, consider them useful, and adhere to them. University students are a group worthy of attention because although they are less likely than older adults to exceed U.K. weekly alcohol intake guidelines or to be inactive, they are also less likely to meet FV consumption targets. Furthermore, because behavior during youth predicts adult behavior, it is important to identify influences on healthier behavior. Method: An online survey was completed by 559 U.K. university students. Key outcome variables were knowledge of guidelines, motivation to adhere to them, and adherence to them. Results: A total of 72% adhered to guidelines for alcohol intake, 58% for PA, and 20% for FV intake. Students generally had poor or moderate knowledge of guidelines, perceived them as only moderately useful, and were only moderately motivated to adhere to them. Greater motivation to adhere to guidelines was not significantly related to more accurate knowledge. However, it was related to greater familiarity, and perceiving guidelines as useful and realistic, and greater conscientiousness. Discussion: There is a need to ensure that students understand the U.K. guidelines for alcohol intake, PA, and FV intake. However, simply increasing knowledge may not lead to greater adherence to the guidelines: There is also a need to focus on improving perceptions of how useful and realistic they are.
History
Publication status
- Published
File Version
- Published version
Journal
Health Education & BehaviorISSN
1090-1981Publisher
SageExternal DOI
Page range
1-8Event location
United StatesDepartment affiliated with
- Psychology Publications
Full text available
- Yes
Peer reviewed?
- Yes
Legacy Posted Date
2021-04-29First Open Access (FOA) Date
2021-04-29First Compliant Deposit (FCD) Date
2021-04-29Usage metrics
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