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Do compensatory health beliefs predict behavioural intention in a multiple health behaviour change context? Evidence
Cyril Forestier1,2, Philippe Sarrazin1, Falko Sniehotta3
1Laboratoire SENS, Univ. Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble, France.
Insights
Compensatory health beliefs (CHB) can hinder multiple health behaviour change (MHBC) in cardiac patients, particularly those with high self-efficacy or low risk perception. Understanding CHB is crucial for effective cardiovascular disease management.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Health Psychology
- Behavioral Science
Background:
- Multiple health behaviour change (MHBC) is vital for preventing cardiovascular event recurrence.
- Engagement in MHBC is notably low among individuals with cardiovascular diseases.
- Compensatory health beliefs (CHB), the idea that healthy behaviors offset unhealthy ones, may impede MHBC.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the role of CHB in the intention formation process for MHBC among cardiac patients.
- To examine how CHB influences engagement in MHBC within a cardiovascular disease population.
- To understand the specific contexts and conditions under which CHB acts as a barrier to MHBC.
Main Methods:
- A questionnaire was administered to 104 cardiac patients at the commencement of their cardiac rehabilitation program.
- The study assessed participants' compensatory health beliefs, intentions for MHBC, self-efficacy, and risk perception.
- Statistical analyses were employed to determine the predictive relationship between CHB and intentions.
Main Results:
- CHB negatively predicted intentions to engage in MHBC.
- This negative association was significant only for participants exhibiting high self-efficacy or low risk perception.
- The impact of CHB varied based on the specific compensating behavior, with medication intake being a more potent predictor.
Conclusions:
- CHB can act as a significant barrier to MHBC in cardiac patients, contrary to findings in healthy populations.
- The influence of CHB is moderated by individual psychological factors like self-efficacy and risk perception.
- Interventions aimed at promoting MHBC in cardiac rehabilitation should consider and address compensatory health beliefs.
Abstract:
Multiple health behaviour change (MHBC) represents one of the best ways to prevent reoccurrence of cardiovascular events. However, few individuals with cardiovascular diseases engage in this process. The present study examined the role of compensatory health beliefs (CHB; i.e., belief that a healthy behaviour compensates an unhealthy one) as a drag to engagement in this process. Some studies have shown that CHBs predict intention to engage in healthy behaviours, but no study has investigated CHBs in individuals who actually need to change multiple health behaviours. The goal was to better understand the role of CHBs in intentions formation process among individuals with cardiac diseases in an MHBC context. One hundred and four patients completed a questionnaire at the beginning of their cardiac rehabilitation program. Results showed that: (1) CHBs negatively predicted intentions (2) but only for participants with high self-efficacy or low risk perception; (3) CHBs predictions differed depending on the nature of the compensating behaviour, and were more predictive when medication intake was the compensating one. Findings only partially confirmed previous research conducted on healthy individuals who were not in an MHBC process, and emphasized the importance of considering CHBs for individuals in this process.
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