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Carolyn L. Blue, PhD, RN, CHES, Department of Nursing, Purdue University, Johnson Hall of Nursing, West Lafayette, IN 47907-2069, 765/494-4012, blue@nursing.purdue.edu
The incidence of type 2 diabetes is one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality in the U.S. The primary behaviors for preventing diabetes are physical activity and eating a healthy diet. However, it has been difficult for individuals to initiate and maintain these behaviors. A first step in understanding cognitions relevant to these behaviors is to assess the beliefs among persons at risk for diabetes. The purposes of this study were to: a) assess the validity and reliability of behavioral, normative, and control belief scales for physical activity and healthy eating behaviors in a sample (n = 110) of adults at risk for type 2 diabetes and b) to estimate the effect of attitude, subjective norm, and perceived behavioral control on intentions to be physically active and eat a healthy diet. The belief scales were developed from telephone interviews with adults at high risk for diabetes. Items were submitted to a panel of experts to determine how well the sets of items reflected the content domain. Confirmatory factor analysis and linear structural equation modeling (LISREL 8) were used to 1) gain a more thorough explanatory understanding of the data and 2) to determine which model was the best fit for the data. Results of this study will be used to better understand the relationship between cognitive beliefs and behaviors that can reduce the risk for diabetes and to develop a pilot intervention to promote physical activity and healthy eating among adults at-risk for diabetes.
Learning Objectives:
Keywords: Diabetes, Health Behavior
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.