title: Cross-cultural generalizability of the theory of planned behavior among young people in a physical activity context.
abstract: The present study tested the cross-cultural generalizability of the measurement and structural parameters of the theory of planned behavior (TPB) among youth in a physical activity context. Pupils from five cultural groups completed measures of attitudes, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control (PBC), and intentions for physical activity. Five weeks later, participants completed self-report measures of physical activity behavior. Confirmatory factor analyses and multisample structural equation models revealed well-fitting models within each sample with minimal variations in the measurement parameters across cultures. There were a few significant cross-cultural differences in the structural relations among the TPB constructs. Attitudes predicted intentions in all samples (beta range = .300 to .550), whereas the effect of the subjective norms on intention was nonsignificant in all but the Hungarian sample (beta = .243). Conversely, the effect of PBC on intentions was significant (beta range = .302 to .573) in all but the Hungarian sample. Findings support the generalizability of the measures and pattern of effects for the TPB among young people in a physical activity context.
authors.affiliation: School of Psychology, University of Nottingham, U.K.
authors.forename: Martin S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Hagger
authors.forename: Nikos L D
authors.initials: NL
authors.lastname: Chatzisarantis
authors.forename: Vassilis
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Barkoukis
authors.forename: John C K
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Vello
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Hein
authors.forename: Maret
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pihu
authors.forename: Istvan
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Soós
authors.forename: Istvan
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Karsai
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D003431:Cross-Cultural Comparison; D018864:Cultural Diversity; D004739:England; D015444:Exercise; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D006801:Humans; D033182:Intention; D008297:Male; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires