The importance of affectively-laden beliefs about health risks: the case of tobacco use and sun protection.
Affect is gaining prominence in health behavior research. However, little is known about the relative influence on behavior of specific affectively-laden beliefs about health risks (affective likelihood, worry, anticipated regret), particularly in comparison to cognitive likelihood beliefs. We investigated this issue in relation to two very different cancer-related behaviors. In two prospective studies [tobacco use (N = 1,088); sunscreen use (N = 491)], hierarchical linear and logistic regression analyses revealed that affectively-laden risk beliefs predicted intentions and behaviors more strongly than cognitive likelihood beliefs. Cognitive likelihood contributed independently only for sunscreen use intentions. Smoking-related outcomes were most strongly associated with anticipated regret. Sunscreen-related outcomes were most strongly associated with affective likelihood. Affectively-laden beliefs might be stronger predictors of some cancer-related behaviors than traditional cognitive likelihood measures. Including affective aspects of health risk beliefs in health behavior interventions and theoretical models, including investigating their interrelationships in different behavioral contexts, could advance both theory and practice.
Department of Health Promotion, Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, School for Public Health and Primary Care (CAPHRI), Maastricht University, P.O. Box 616, 6200 MD, Maastricht, The Netherlands, eva.janssen@maastrichtuniversity.nl.
Eva
E
Janssen
Erika A
EA
Waters
Liesbeth
L
van Osch
Lilian
L
Lechner
Hein
H
de Vries
D000328:Adult; D004644:Emotions; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D040242:Risk Reduction Behavior; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000523:psychology; D013471:Sunburn / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000523:psychology; D013473:Sunscreening Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D064424:Tobacco Use / Q000523:psychology*
D013473:Sunscreening Agents