Interpersonal Effects of Parents and Adolescents on Each Other’s Health Behaviours: A Dyadic Extension of the Theory of Planned Behaviour

Abstract

Objective: Interpersonal relationships are important predictors of health outcomes, and interpersonal influences on behaviours may be key mechanisms underlying such effects. Most health behaviour theories focus on intrapersonal factors and may not adequately account for interpersonal influences.We evaluate a dyadic extension of the Theory of Planned Behaviour by examining whether parent and adolescent characteristics (attitudes, subjective norms, perceived behavioural control, intentions) are associated with not only their own, but also each other's intentions/behaviours. Design: Using the Actor-Partner Interdependence Model, we analyse responses from 1,717 parent-adolescent dyads from the Family Life, Activity, Sun, Health, and Eating study. Main Outcome Measures:Adolescents/parents completed self-reports of their fruit and vegetable consumption, junk food and sugary drinks consumption, engagement in physical activity, and engagement in screen time sedentary behaviours. Results: Parent/adolescent characteristics are associated with each other's health-relevant intentions/behaviours above the effects of individuals' own characteristics on their own behaviours. Parent/adolescent characteristics covary with each other's outcomes with similar strength, but parent characteristics more strongly relate to adolescent intentions, whereas adolescent characteristics more strongly relate to parent behaviours. Conclusions: Parents and adolescents may bidirectionally influence each other's health intentions/behaviours. This highlights the importance of dyadic models of health behaviour and suggests intervention targets.

Parent-for-child Mask Wearing Behavior during the COVID-19 Pandemic: An Investigation of Attitudes, Beliefs and Norms using the Theory of Planned Behavior

“…A 2020 meta-analysis (N=46 studies) investigating determinants of parent-forchild behaviors using the TPB model found that attitudes, norms and perceived control predicted parental enforcement of health behavior in children and these relationships were mediated by intentions [14]. Notably, an empirical study testing the TPB in parent-adolescent dyads found a bi-directional influence of the model tenets (attitudes, norms, perceived control, and intentions) on parent-to-adolescent behavior and adolescentto-parent behavior [15]. Few studies have used the TPB model to predict COVID-19 preventive behaviors, including social and physical distancing among general population samples in Bangladesh [16] and Hong Kong [17] and intentions to wear masks among international students [18].…”