title: Practice of habitual and volitional health behaviors to prevent severe acute respiratory syndrome among Chinese adolescents in Hong Kong.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To explore factors relating to the practice of habitual and volitional health behaviors against the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) among Chinese adolescents in Hong Kong.
  
  
  METHODS
  A community telephone survey was conducted with 230 Chinese adolescents. Random-digit dialing of the local residential telephone directory was used to select respondents, who were asked to provide information on their practice of SARS preventive health behaviors and associated factors as specified by the Health Belief Model. These factors included perceived threat of SARS, perceived benefits and barriers in practicing SARS preventive health behaviors, cues to action, knowledge of SARS, and self-efficacy. Hierarchical regression analyses were conducted to determine salient correlates of habitual and volitional health behaviors against SARS.
  
  
  RESULTS
  About 54.8% of respondents reported practicing all three recommended habitual health behaviors. Another 47.8% indicated consistent practice of volitional health behavior of facemask-wearing to prevent SARS. Results of hierarchical regression analyses showed that habitual health behaviors against SARS were related to perceived health threat and environmental cues. For facemask-wearing, salient correlates were environmental cues, rates of SARS habitual health behaviors, younger age, and perceived health threat.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The Health Belief Model is useful in understanding Chinese adolescents' practice of health behaviors, especially volitional health behaviors.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong.
authors.forename: Chi-Yan
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Wong
authors.forename: Catherine So-Kum
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Tang
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior; D002648:Child; D015438:Health Behavior; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006306:Health Surveys; D006723:Hong Kong; D006801:Humans; D012307:Risk Factors; D020377:Self Efficacy; D045169:Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000635:transmission*
references.citation: South Med J. 1998 Oct;91(10):933-41
references.pmid: 9786288
references.citation: Health Educ Res. 1997 Sep;12(3):363-74
references.pmid: 10174219
references.citation: Am J Public Health. 2003 Nov;93(11):1887-8
references.pmid: 14600058
references.citation: Am J Health Behav. 2002 May-Jun;26(3):163-72
references.pmid: 12018752
references.citation: J Soc Psychol. 1978 Dec;106(2):227-237
references.pmid: 28135539
references.citation: J Nutr Educ. 2001 Jan-Feb;33(1):17-23
references.pmid: 12031201
references.citation: J Adolesc Health. 2000 Apr;26(4):252-7
references.pmid: 10734272
references.citation: Health Educ Q. 1988 Summer;15(2):175-83
references.pmid: 3378902
references.citation: J Nutr Educ Behav. 2002 Mar-Apr;34 Suppl 1:S25-30
references.pmid: 12047826
references.citation: Adolescence. 2001 Fall;36(143):571-82
references.pmid: 11817637
references.citation: Public Health Nurs. 2001 Mar-Apr;18(2):82-93
references.pmid: 11285102
references.citation: Lancet. 2003 May 17;361(9370):1701-3
references.pmid: 12767737
references.citation: Health Psychol. 2003 Mar;22(2):189-98
references.pmid: 12683739
references.citation: Alcohol Clin Exp Res. 1998 May;22(3):553-8
references.pmid: 9622431
references.citation: J Consult Clin Psychol. 2002 Jun;70(3):828-42
references.pmid: 12090386
references.citation: Am Psychol. 1992 Sep;47(9):1102-14
references.pmid: 1329589
references.citation: J Adolesc. 1998 Dec;21(6):657-65
references.pmid: 9971723
references.citation: MMWR CDC Surveill Summ. 1998 Aug 14;47(3):1-89
references.pmid: 9719790
references.citation: Am J Public Health. 1990 Mar;80(3):295-9
references.pmid: 2305908
references.citation: Annu Rev Psychol. 2001;52:83-110
references.pmid: 11148300
references.citation: Gerontologist. 2001 Aug;41(4):546-52
references.pmid: 11490053