Who engages in health protective behaviors? A replication

The purpose of this article is to replicate Berkanovic's study suggesting that general health orientations are weak mediators of the relationship between sociodemographic characteristics and health protective behaviors, and thus, health education campaigns attempting to alter health orientations in target populations would have little effect on health protective behaviors. Our methodology is similar to that used by Berkanovic although additional sociodemographic factors as well as measures of general health orientations are included in the analysis of the three types of health protective behaviors (i.e., voluntary life style change, physician recommended life style change, and physician recommended treatment). Our results support Berkanovic's earlier view. The effect of attitudes toward physicians on asymptomatic life style change is also considered, and the implications for health education are discussed.