Factors Associated with Initiation and Sustenance of Stress Management Behaviors in Veterinary Students: Testing of Multi-Theory Model (MTM)

Abstract

Veterinary students across the United States face the challenge of stress during school every day. When managed improperly, stress can become chronic and manifest in physical and emotional consequences. The purpose of this study was to examine the utility of the multi-theory model (MTM) of health behavior change in predicting the initiation and sustenance of stress management behaviors among veterinary students. A cross-sectional design was used to study the efficacy of the MTM in predicting initiation and sustenance of stress management behaviors among veterinary students at a private College of Veterinary Medicine in the Southeast United States. Researchers collected data using a 54-item valid and reliable survey. Only students who did not already engage in daily stress management behaviors were included in the study. After recruitment and exclusion, a total of 140 students remained and participated in the study. Hierarchical multiple regression revealed that, for initiation of stress management behaviors, 49.5% of the variance was explained by depression, academic classification, and behavioral confidence. Regarding sustenance of stress management behaviors, 50.4% of the variance was explained by perceived stress, depression, academic classification, and emotional transformation. MTM serves as a promising framework for predicting initiation and sustenance of health behavior change. Based on the results of this study, interventions aimed to promote stress management behaviors in veterinary students should focus on the MTM constructs of behavioral confidence and emotional transformation.

Using the Multi-Theory Model (MTM) of Health Behavior Change to Explain Intentional Outdoor Nature Contact Behavior among College Students

“…In behavioral and social sciences, such magnitude is of practical significance. Behavioral confidence [ 30 , 31 , 32 , 33 , 34 , 35 , 36 , 37 ] and changes in the physical environment [ 31 , 35 , 36 , 37 ] have been found to be significant and substantial predictors of other health behaviors in several studies based on MTM with US college students. Participatory dialogue was not found to contribute to initiating intentional outdoor nature contact behavior.…”

“…In this study, for maintaining intentional outdoor nature contact behavior, all the three constructs of MTM—namely, emotional transformation ( p = 0.021), practice for change ( p < 0.001), and changes in the social environment ( p = 0.002)—were statistically significant and contributed substantively toward the variance (31.0%). Emotional transformation [ 30 , 31 , 32 , 33 , 34 , 35 , 37 ], practice for change [ 30 , 31 , 35 , 36 , 37 ], and changes in the social environment [ 30 , 31 , 34 , 37 ] have been found to be significant and substantial predictors of other health behaviors in several studies based on MTM with US college students.…”

“…For the maintenance of behavior change, the person must be able to transform his or her emotions into goals, continually strive for change (practice for change), and must have support from their social environment. The theory has been used in cross-sectional designs with a variety of health behaviors [29][30][31][32][33][34][35][36][37] and in experimental designs with physical activity [38], fruit and vegetable consumption [39], and water pipe cessation [40], with encouraging results. This was the first study using MTM with intentional outdoor nature contact behavior.…”

Atopic Dermatitis: Preventing and Managing the Itch That Rashes, and a Case for the Multi-Theory Model (MTM) for Health Behavior Change for Educational Interventions

“…A cross-sectional study using MTM in the US demonstrated the model's ability to predict both initiation and maintenance of anxietyreducing behaviors in students (22). The analysis was performed with MTM constructs used as the independent variables and intention to initiate and maintain relaxation behaviors as dependent variables.…”

“…The analysis was performed with MTM constructs used as the independent variables and intention to initiate and maintain relaxation behaviors as dependent variables. There were significant associations between behavioral confidence with the initiation of relaxation behavior and emotional transformation with sustenance (22). A similar cross-sectional study sought to identify predictive factors for Ghanaian adolescents' intention receive HPV vaccination (23).…”