Understanding Adherence to 5 Servings of Fruits and Vegetables per Day: A Theory of Planned Behavior Perspective

Objective: The primary purpose of the present study was to examine the utility of the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) in explaining the 5-A-Day intentions and behavior of college students. A secondary purpose was to determine whether any of the TPB relationships were moderated by gender or ethnicity. Design: A prospective design that asked college students to complete a baseline TPB 5-A-Day questionnaire and a fruit and vegetable consumption measure 1 week later. Setting: Undergraduate fitness and health classes at 2 universities in the southern United States. Participants: 511 college students with a mean age of 19.8 years (standard deviation = 2.71). Main Outcome Measures: TPB variables and fruit and vegetable consumption. Analyses: Path analyses and invariance (ie, to examine ethnic and gender moderated) analyses. Results: Affective attitude (β = .16, P < .05) and perceived behavioral control (β = .59, P < .05) were significant predictors of intention, which in turn was a significant predictor of behavior (β = .32, P < .05). Follow-up invariance analyses showed that none of the TPB relationships was moderated by gender or ethnicity. Conclusions and Implications: The TPB may be a useful framework on which to base a 5-A-Day intervention for male and female college students of different ethnic backgrounds.