EXPLAINING ADOELSCENT BEHAVIOR INTNETION TO CONSUME FAST FOOD USING THE THEORY OF PLANNED BEHAVIOR A Dissertation Submitted to the Graduate Faculty Of the North Dakota State University Of Agriculture and Applied Science By Julie Lynn Fudge In Partial Fulfillment For the Degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY Major Department: Communication March 2013 Fargo, ND North Dakota State University Graduate School Title Explaining Adolescent Behavior Intention to Consume Fast Food Using the Theory of Planned Behavior By Julie Fudge The Supervisory Committee certifies that this disquisition complies with North Dakota State University’s regulations and meets the accepted standards for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY SUPERVISORY COMMITTEE: Dr. Nan Yu Chair Dr. Elizabeth Crawford-Jackson Dr. Stephenson Beck Dr.
James Deal Approved: Dr. Mark Meister April 8, 2013 Date Department Chair ABSTRACT This study tested the utility of the theory of planned behavior (TPB) to explain adolescent fast-food consumption among 349 high school adolescents. Subjective norms were further investigated to identify how parents and friends influenced adolescent fast-food consumption. Study participants completed a paper-based questionnaire measuring adolescent attitude, subjective norms for parents and friends, perceived behavioral control, and behavioral intention.
Path analysis revealed that TPB explained adolescent fast-food behavioral intention to consume fast food. The model identified parent subjective norms had the strongest relationship with adolescent behavioral intention to consume fast food. Parent norms differed across age and grade in high school. Older adolescents perceived more approval for eating fast food than younger adolescents.
Theoretical and practical implications are discussed. iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS My dissertation would not have been possible without the help and guidance of many people. First, I would like to thank my advisor, Dr. Nan Yu, for her support and guidance.
Her feedback and knowledge have helped me refine my ability to conceptualize research and improve my writing skills. I am grateful for her help. I would like to thank my committee members, Dr. Stephenson Beck, Dr.
Elizabeth Crawford-Jackson, and Dr. James Deal, for their time, enthusiasm, and intellectual contributions to this scholarship through their thoughtful advice and revisions. I would also like to thank all of my professors who have contributed to my doctoral studies and prepared me to complete the dissertation through their teaching, research collaboration, and encouragement. I would like to express my gratitude to the teachers and administration from the high schools who agreed to participate in my dissertation.
Their support and patience was encouraging and allowed me to research a topic I am passionate about. Their participation and support of academic research provides additional understanding about high school adolescents and contributes to a body of theoretical knowledge. I would like to acknowledge and offer my sincere thanks to the other doctoral students who I have developed friendships with and who have contributed to my academic development. Finally, while there are many people who have supported me through this phase, I would also like to thank my family and friends for their encouragement and inspiration.
iv TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT. iv LIST OF TABLES. vii LIST OF FIGURES. viii CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION.
3 Childhood Obesity and Fast Food. 9 CHAPTER II: LITERATURE REVIEW. 21 Proximal and Distal Subjective Norms. 22 Descriptive and Injunctive Norms.
24 Perceived Behavioral Control. 27 CHAPTER III: METHODOLOGY. 32 Data Collection and Procedures. 41 v Perceived Behavioral Control.
43 Data Analysis Strategy. 44 CHAPTER IV: RESULTS. 61 Theory of Planned Behavior Model. 88 vi LIST OF TABLES Table Page 1.
Participant Demographic Information. Adolescent Sporting & Leisure Time Descriptive Frequencies. Top Five Foods Consumed by Adolescents. Scale Descriptive Statistics.
Correlation Matrix for All Variables. Pearson Correlations for Independent and Dependent Regression Variables (N = 345). Regression on Adolescents’ Behavior Intention to Eat Fast Food (N = 345). 55 vii LIST OF FIGURES Figure Page 1.
Study Design Following Ajzen’s (1991) Theory of Planned Behavior. Study Design Following Ajzen’s (1991) Theory of Planned Behavior. Proposed Model Using the Theory of Planned Behavior (Ajzen, 1991). Revised Path Model Testing Parent Norms Using the Theory of Planned Behavior (Ajzen, 1991).
Revised Path Model Testing Friend Norms Using the Theory of Planned Behavior (Ajzen, 1991). 53 viii CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION Obesity is a worldwide public health epidemic (CDC, 2012a; WHO, 2000). alone, approximately 35 percent of American men and women are obese (Ogden, Carroll, Kit, & Flegal, 2012). More specifically, 20 percent of every state’s adult population is obese, with some states’ obese population exceeding 30 percent (CDC, 2012a).
In addition to rising adult obesity rates, child and adolescent obesity rates have increased three-fold since 1980.5 million American children and adolescents are obese (CDC, 2012b). Childhood obesity rates are growing most rapidly among adolescents between the ages of 12-19 years old (Ogden & Carroll, 2010; Ogden et al. In the upper Midwest states, childhood obesity is a serious risk for adolescents. The health issue affects approximately 12% of North Dakota and 13% of South Dakota children and adolescents (NICH, 2010).
In relation to other U. states, North Dakota is ranked 44th and South Dakota is ranked 35th for childhood obesity prevalence, demonstrating the expansiveness of this public health issue (Trust of America’s Health, 2010). Despite all the efforts curbing the health risks imposed by obesity, more Americans will be facing this health problem in the future. It is estimated that 42% of Americans will be obese by 2030 if obesity continues to grow at the current rate (Finkelstein, Khavjou, Thompson, Trogdon, Pan, Sherry, & Dieztz, 2012).
This study will investigate personal and environmental factors potentially contributing to childhood obesity by using the theory of planned behavior as a theoretical model (TPB) (Ajzen, 1991). In addition, influences from parents and friends will be investigated to fully understand which group has the strongest influence on high school adolescents’ to engage in unhealthy eating behaviors. Fast food has been linked to adolescent obesity, and in order for adolescent health to improve, motivation for consuming unhealthy food needs to be better understood. 1 In recent years, scholars started to pay a lot of attention to understand potential factors contributing to the public health epidemic of obesity.
Childhood obesity scholarship has focused on identifying risk factors related to developing childhood obesity. For instance, Campbell, Crawford, and Ball (2006) found that parents who had misperceptions about their child’s diet actually consumed more sweet and salty foods. Further, scholars have identified that parents’ general attitude about food (Birch, 2002), parents’ consumption of take-out food (Campbell, Crawford, Salmon, Carver, Garnett, & Baur, 2007), adolescents’ attitude about junk food and fast food (Dixon, Scully, Wakefield, White, & Crawford, 2007), and increased television viewing among adolescent children (Harris & Bargh, 2009) are associated with increased childhood obesity rates. Because of the continued increase in obesity rates, scholars argue that a single variable is not causing the increase in adiposity (Henderson & Brownell, 2004).
More research is needed that investigates combinations of personal and social factors potentially contributing to growing obesity rates (Henderson & Brownell, 2004), which may also enable scholars and practitioners the opportunity to develop theoretically-driven education campaigns. The aim of this study focuses on investigating a combination of personal and social factors that may affect adolescent obesity. Specifically, I am interested in understanding how adolescent attitude, perceived parent and friend subjective norms, and perceived ability to control one’s behavior predicts adolescents’ intention to eat fast food. The study will utilize the theory of planned behavior (TPB) (Ajzen, 1985) as a theoretical framework.
TPB can be an appropriate theoretical lens in helping predict and explain adolescent attitudes and behaviors related to eating fast food because TPB accounts for multiple components that influence behavior in specific contexts. TPB has been used to explain many health behaviors including eating behaviors (Kassem, Lee, Modeste, & Johnston, 2003; Maddock et al. Unique from 2 prior research, this research focuses on applying TPB to an adolescent population to explore the utility of TPB to explain adolescent fast food behavioral intention and to identify how parent and friend norms influence eating fast food. The findings from this research may be helpful to advance the understanding of normative influences from parents and friends on adolescents’ behavioral intentions to consume fast food.
The results can be used for educational programs targeting changing adolescents’ fast-food eating behaviors. This chapter begins with an overview of the physical and emotional consequences of childhood obesity, followed by an overview of research linking fast-food consumption with childhood obesity. Next, the definition of fast food is provided followed by the study’s research goals. Childhood Obesity Being overweight or obese has physical and emotional health consequences.
Obese children and adolescents are often diagnosed with illnesses that are detrimental to their immediate health (Must & Strauss, 1999). Overweight children and adolescents are at risk for immediate medical issues which may include asthma, sleep apnea (Must & Strauss, 1999), Type 2 diabetes mellitus, elevated total cholesterol, gallstones (Alton, 2005), nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, insulin resistance (Daniels, 2006), or orthopedic problems such as femoral damage or bowed legs (Alton, 2005; Must & Strauss, 1999). Overweight and obese children have a higher danger of developing cardiovascular disease, osteoarthritis, and certain cancers (Must & Struss, 1999; WHO, 2000). Many of the illnesses that obese children face have lifelong impacts and can be avoided with lifestyle modifications.
In addition to physical affects, childhood obesity has the potential to negatively impact an adolescent’s emotional health. Adolescents who are overweight or obese face social 3 stigmatization, rejection, and stereotyping (Puhl & Latner, 2007). Children are aware of the negative social effects of being overweight (Brylinksy & Moore, 1994). Rejection and stereotyping can have a negative effect on an adolescent during their teenage years when social relationships are beginning to form (Must & Strauss, 1999; Puhl & Latner, 2007).
Overweight and obese adolescents face psychological consequences that include depression, loneliness, and nervousness. Along with these consequences, there is an increased likelihood that adolescents will engage in risky behaviors such as using alcohol or experimenting with sexual activity (Alton, 2005; Strauss, 2000). Taken together, adolescent obesity negatively impacts adolescents physically and emotionally during key developmental years and may have life-long impact. Adolescent obesity is a strong indicator of adult obesity (Wilson, 2007).
Adolescents who are overweight often continue into adulthood as overweight or obese adults (Alton, 2005; Must & Strauss, 1999). Medical issues typically diagnosed in adulthood, such as Type 2 diabetes, are now being diagnosed in adolescents and will be life-long medical concerns as these children age (Must & Strauss, 1999). In addition, self-esteem and body image issues that begin in adolescence continue into adulthood (Must & Strauss, 1999). Further, females face increased effects stemming from adolescent obesity.
Adult females who were overweight as adolescents experience higher rates of poverty (Must & Strauss, 1999), lower income levels (Alton, 2005; Grotmaker, Must, Perrin, Sobol, & Dietz, 1993), and attain fewer years of education (Alton, 2005). The physical and emotional consequences of obesity described above are impactful not only during the adolescent years, but have the potential to influence adolescents in their adult lives. Behaviors affecting one’s health are often established in childhood and adolescence (Bandura, 1998). Adolescence is a life stage characterized by increased autonomy and represents a transitional stage before adulthood.
Adolescence is also a time when teens are faced 4 with peer pressures, expanding social networks, and begins to explore new ideas (Collins & Steinberg, 2008). Therefore, it is necessary to understand what factors influence adolescents to develop eating patterns that may have immediate and long-term physical and emotional consequences. During adolescence, young people begin to make more personal choices, define personal goals, and have more control over their personal activities (Noom, Dekovic, & Meeus, 2001). The teen years are a time when most adolescents begin to make more personal decisions about clothes and leisure activities, work part-time jobs, and have more disposable income to purchase products of their liking.