title: [Influence of mediating/moderating effects of health skills on the relation between knowledge and behaviors in health, among college students].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study the influence of mediating/moderating effects of health skills on the relations between health knowledge and health behaviors in college students.
  
  
  METHODS
  Stratified cluster random sampling was used among 2 181 students, selected in several colleges in Changsha, Hunan province. EpiData 3.0 was adopted to establish the database. Correlation and regression analyses were performed by SPSS 17.0.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Positive correlations were seen on: 1) Knowledge and skills on health (r = 0.592, P < 0.01), 2) Knowledge and behaviors on health (r = 0.647, P < 0.01), 3) Health skills and health behaviors(r = 0.629, P < 0.01). The mediating effect of health skills on the relations between health knowledge and health behaviors was significant (34.55%). The interaction effect of "health skill × (times) related knowledge" was significant (β = -0.093, t = - 5.212, P = 0.000). New variables that were produced by the interaction also reached significant level (Δ R(2) = 0.006, P = 0.000), resulted in increasing the explanation function to health behaviors by 0.6%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Health skills could partially mediate the effects and moderate the relationship between health knowledge and health behaviors among college students.
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, Changsha Medical College, Changsha 410219, China.
authors.forename: Jinsong
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mou
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, Changsha Medical College, Changsha 410219, China.
authors.forename: Shuying
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.affiliation: Tianxin Center for Disease Control and Prevention in Changsha. Email: wudan1016789@sina.com.
authors.forename: Dan
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: Department of Maternal and Child Health, School of Public Health, Central South University.
authors.forename: Jiayou
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Luo
authors.affiliation: Department of Maternal and Child Health, School of Public Health, Central South University.
authors.forename: Xunqiang
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Yin
authors.affiliation: Department of Maternal and Child Health, School of Public Health, Central South University.
authors.forename: Wenjie
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Gong
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D054874:Athletic Performance; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014495:Universities