Author/Authors :
Sharma, Manoj Behavioral & Environmental Health - School of Public Health - Jackson State University, Jackson, MS, USA , Catalano, Hannah Priest Public Health Studies - School of Health and Applied Human Sciences - University of North Carolina Wilmington, Wilmington, NC, USA , Nahar, Vinayak K. Department of Health - Physical Education, and Exercise Science - Lincoln Memorial University, Harrogate, TN, USA , Lingam, Vimala C. Behavioral & Environmental Health - School of Public Health - Jackson State University, Jackson, MS, USA , Johnson, Paul Department of Management - School of Business Administration, University of Mississippi, MS, USA , Ford, M. Allison Department of Health, Exercise Science & Recreation Management - School of Applied Sciences - University of Mississippi, MS, USA
Abstract :
Background: A substantial proportion of college students to not drink enough water and consume sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs). Consumption of SSBs is associated with weight gain, obesity, type 2 diabetes mellitus, dental carries, and increased risk for cardiovascular disease. Hence, the purpose of this study was to use the multi-theory model (MTM) in predicting initiation and sustenance of plain water consumption instead of sugar-sweetened beverages among college students.
Study design: A cross-sectional study.
Methods: In this cross-sectional study, a 37-item valid and reliable MTM-based survey was administered to college students in 2016 via Qualtrics at a large public university in the Southeastern United States. Overall, 410 students responded to the survey; of those, 174 were eligible for the study and completed it.
Results: Stepwise multiple regression analysis revealed that 61.8% of the variance in the initiation of drinking plain water instead of SSBs was explained by behavioral confidence (P<0.001) and changes in the physical environment (P<0.001). Further, 58.3% of the variance in the sustenance of drinking plain water instead of SSBs was explained by emotional transformation (P<0.001) and practice for change (P=0.001).
Conclusions: Multi-theory model of health behavior change is a robust theory for predicting plain water consumption instead of SSBs in college students. Interventions should be developed based on this theory for this target population.
Keywords :
Water consumption , Water intake , Health behavior , Theoretical model
