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Originalia

Trait Versus State

Effects of Dispositional and Situational Compensatory Health Beliefs on High-Calorie Snack Consumption

Published Online:October 23, 2014https://doi.org/10.1026/0943-8149/a000125

Abstract

Compensatory health beliefs (CHBs)–beliefs that an unhealthy behavior can be compensated for by a healthy behavior–can be distinguished into trait and state beliefs. Trait CHBs are stable individual differences, whereas state CHBs are activated in a tempting situation–for example, when faced with an attractive snack. The aim of this study was to test whether diet-specific trait or state CHBs are predictive for an unhealthy behavior–namely, high-calorie snack consumption. A scenario was created in which 66 women aged 16 to 50 were faced with a high-calorie snack. Diet-specific trait and state CHBs correlated moderately with each other. Regression analyses revealed that diet-specific trait CHBs with exercise as the compensatory behavior were significantly predictive for high-calorie snack consumption, over and above control variables such as age, whereas state CHBs were only marginally significant. Diet-specific trait and state CHBs with reduced intake (eat less later) as the compensatory behavior were not related to high-calorie snack consumption. Results showed that trait CHBs are relevant for the prediction of high-calorie snack consumption. Future studies might want to further refine the measurement of CHBs, especially state CHBs.

Kompensatorische Gesundheitsüberzeugungen (CHBs)–definiert als die Überzeugung, dass negative Effekte von ungesundem Verhalten durch gesundes Verhalten kompensiert werden, können in dispositionelle und situationsspezifische CHBs unterschieden werden. Dispositionelle CHBs werden definiert als stabiles Persönlichkeitsmerkmal, während situationsspezifische CHBs in Situationen aktiviert werden, in denen man einer Versuchung, wie z. B. ein Stück leckeren Kuchen zu essen, nicht widerstehen kann. Das Ziel dieser Studie war es zu untersuchen, ob dispositionelle oder situationsspezifische CHBs prädiktiv für ein ungesundes Verhalten wie kalorienreichen Snackkonsum sind. In einem experimentellen Setting wurde daher 66 Frauen im Alter von 16 bis 50 Jahren ein kalorienreicher Snack angeboten. Als Ergebnis zeigte sich, dass dispositionelle und situationsspezifische CHBs nur moderat miteinander korrelierten. Darüber hinaus wies die Regressionsanalyse nur die dispositionellen CHBs, welche als Kompensationsverhalten Sport abfragten, als signifikanten Prädiktor für den kalorienreichen Snackkonsum aus, während die situationsspezifischen CHBs nur marginal signifikant mit dem Snackkonsum assoziiert waren. Dispositionelle und situationsspezifische CHBs, welche eine reduzierte Nahrungsaufnahme als Kompensationsverhalten beinhalteten, zeigten in der Regressionsanalyse keinen prädiktiven Zusammenhang mit dem Snackkonsum. Die Ergebnisse zeigen, dass dispositionelle CHBs relevant für die Vorhersage des kalorienreichen Snackkonsums sind. Zukünftige Forschung sollte jedoch weiter die Messung der CHBs, insbesondere der situationsspezifischen CHBs verfeinern.

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