Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #112002

Edessa C. Jobli, MPH, CHES¹, Chudley Werch, PhD¹, and Michele J. Moore, PhD². (1) Addictive & Health Behaviors Research Institute, University of Florida, 6852 Belfort Oaks Place, Jacksonville, FL, FL 32216, 904-631-3917, ejobli@hhp.ufl.edu, (2) Center for Drug Prevention Research, University of North Florida, 4567 St. Johns Bluff Road South, Jacksonville, FL 32224

Aspirations are hypothesized as key motivational factors for health behavior change in the emerging Integrative Health Behavior Model (IHBM). This study examined categories of adolescent aspirational images, including differences by demographics, and aspirations' ability to predict health behaviors. Participants included 514 students from a suburban high school in Florida. Data were collected on participant's health-damaging (substance use) and health-promoting (sports/physical activity participation, nutrition and sleep patterns) behaviors, and aspirations (difference between self and desired images). Factor analysis conducted on the 26-item aspiration measures produced six component factors, labeled as: 1) Physical/Social Appeal (Fit, Popular), 2) Character (Kind, Honest), 3) Happiness (Happy, Depressed), 4) Composure (Cool, Relaxed), 5) Hardy (Tough, Strong), and 6) Being Real (Arrogant, Wild). Analysis of variance revealed that females had significantly higher scores on aspirations of Physical/ Social Appeal, Happiness, and Composure than males. Caucasians had significantly higher scores on Physical/Social Appeal and Happiness than other ethnicities. There were no significant differences across age groups. Logistic regression analyses predicting health-damaging behaviors revealed that Physical/Social Appeal predicted willingness to use cigarettes; Character predicted all alcohol use behaviors; Happiness predicted intentions and length of alcohol, cigarettes and marijuana use; Hardy predicted intentions and willingness to use cigarettes; and Being Real predicted current alcohol use. Predictors for health-promoting behaviors were Physical/Social Appeal, Character, Happiness and Composure for sports/physical activity; Physical/Social Appeal and Being Real predicted nutrition; and Happiness and Being Real predicted sleep patterns. This study suggests that aspirations hold promise for motivating change of health behaviors among adolescents.

Learning Objectives:

• Identify aspirational image categories among adolescents.
• Recognize the diffrences in aspirational images between demographic subgroups.
• Identify aspirational image categories that predict certain health behaviors.

Keywords: Adolescent Health, Health Behavior

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commercial supporters.

Recorded presentation