Testing an extended theory of planned behaviour to predict young people's sun safety in a high risk area

View/ Open
Author(s)
White, Katherine M
Robinson, Natalie G
Young, Ross McD
Anderson, Peter J
Hyde, Melissa K
Greenbank, Susan
Rolfe, Toni
Keane, Julie
Vardon, Paul
Baskerville, Debra
Griffith University Author(s)
Year published
2008
Metadata
Show full item recordAbstract
Objectives The present research examined the sun protection intentions and behaviours of young people in a high risk skin cancer area using an extended theory of planned behaviour (TPB) incorporating additional social influences of group and image norms. Design The study employed a prospective design to examine young people's sun protection intentions and behaviour. Method Participants (N = 1,134), aged 12-20 years, were students (school, university, TAFE) and young employees living in Queensland, Australia. Participants completed a questionnaire assessing the TPB predictors (attitude, subjective norm, perceived behavioural ...
View more >Objectives The present research examined the sun protection intentions and behaviours of young people in a high risk skin cancer area using an extended theory of planned behaviour (TPB) incorporating additional social influences of group and image norms. Design The study employed a prospective design to examine young people's sun protection intentions and behaviour. Method Participants (N = 1,134), aged 12-20 years, were students (school, university, TAFE) and young employees living in Queensland, Australia. Participants completed a questionnaire assessing the TPB predictors (attitude, subjective norm, perceived behavioural control) and additional social influences (group norm, image norm) of sun protection intentions. Two weeks later, participants (N = 734) reported their sun protection behaviour for the previous fortnight. Results Results revealed that the TPB variables of attitude, subjective norm and perceived behavioural control and the additional social influence variable of group norms, but not image norms, emerged as significant predictors of intentions to engage in sun protection. The extended TPB variables accounted for 36% of the variance in intentions. For behaviour, the extended TPB variables accounted for 27% of the variance with both intention and, unexpectedly, group norm as the significant direct predictors of sun protective behaviours. Conclusions Results of this study provide support for the application of the TPB in the sun safety context and highlight the importance of considering the influence of group norms in the development of future interventions to increase young people's sun protection intentions and behaviour.
View less >
View more >Objectives The present research examined the sun protection intentions and behaviours of young people in a high risk skin cancer area using an extended theory of planned behaviour (TPB) incorporating additional social influences of group and image norms. Design The study employed a prospective design to examine young people's sun protection intentions and behaviour. Method Participants (N = 1,134), aged 12-20 years, were students (school, university, TAFE) and young employees living in Queensland, Australia. Participants completed a questionnaire assessing the TPB predictors (attitude, subjective norm, perceived behavioural control) and additional social influences (group norm, image norm) of sun protection intentions. Two weeks later, participants (N = 734) reported their sun protection behaviour for the previous fortnight. Results Results revealed that the TPB variables of attitude, subjective norm and perceived behavioural control and the additional social influence variable of group norms, but not image norms, emerged as significant predictors of intentions to engage in sun protection. The extended TPB variables accounted for 36% of the variance in intentions. For behaviour, the extended TPB variables accounted for 27% of the variance with both intention and, unexpectedly, group norm as the significant direct predictors of sun protective behaviours. Conclusions Results of this study provide support for the application of the TPB in the sun safety context and highlight the importance of considering the influence of group norms in the development of future interventions to increase young people's sun protection intentions and behaviour.
View less >
Journal Title
British Journal of Health Psychology
Volume
13
Issue
3
Copyright Statement
© 2008 British Psychological Society. Published by Wiley-Blackwell. This is the pre-peer-reviewed version of the following article: Testing an extended theory of planned behaviour to predict young people's sun safety in a high risk area, British Journal of Health Psychology (BJHP), Vol. 13(3), 2008, pp. 435-448, which has been published in final form at dx.doi.org/10.1348/135910707X210004.
Subject
Sociology