title: Moderating effect of socioeconomic status on the relationship between health cognitions and behaviors.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  There is an established link between socioeconomic status (SES) and performance of health behaviors with more health protective and fewer health-risking behaviors in higher SES groups.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This research is novel in testing the moderating effect of SES on the relationship among intention, self-efficacy, and subsequent behavior.
  
  
  METHODS
  Effects were tested on data from three prospective correlational studies examining smoking initiation in adolescents (N = 826), breastfeeding in primiparous women (N = 202), and physical activity in working adults (N = 509).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Despite examining different behaviors, samples, time intervals, and measures of SES, each study showed significant interactions between intention and SES in predicting behavior. In all three tests, the intention-behavior relationship was attenuated among individuals from lower SES groups. No moderation effects of SES were found for self-efficacy.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The intention-health behavior relationship can be attenuated in lower SES samples. This finding may contribute to our understanding of SES differences in health behaviors.
authors: University of Leeds, Leeds, UK.
authors: Mark
authors: M
authors: Conner
authors: Rosemary
authors: R
authors: McEachan
authors: Cath
authors: C
authors: Jackson
authors: Brian
authors: B
authors: McMillan
authors: Mike
authors: M
authors: Woolridge
authors: Rebecca
authors: R
authors: Lawton
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001942:Breast Feeding / Q000523:psychology*; D002648:Child; D003071:Cognition; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D006801:Humans; D033182:Intention; D008297:Male; D009043:Motor Activity; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012309:Risk-Taking; D020377:Self Efficacy; D012907:Smoking / Q000523:psychology*; D012923:Social Class; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires