Healthy lifestyle and behavioural intentions: the role of self-identity, self-efficacy, subjective norms, and attitudes

Abstract

ABSTRACT This study aims to investigate the influence of health self-identity, self-efficacy beliefs, and subjective norms on healthy lifestyles and, in turn, behavioural intentions. Health attitude is also considered a crucial underlying mechanism for understanding health-promoting behaviours. The study used a covariance-based structural equation modelling to test the proposed conceptual model with 493 South African consumers. The results show that health self-identity and self-efficacy beliefs influence healthy lifestyles and, in turn, influence behavioural intentions (e.g. smartwatch use, healthy eating, and physical exercise). Further, the results show that a healthy lifestyle mediates the relationship between healthy self-identity and behavioural intentions. Subjective norms do not directly influence a healthy lifestyle but behavioural intentions. The lack of mediational influence of a healthy lifestyle between subjective norms and behavioural intentions suggests that subjective norms independently predict health-promoting behaviours. Finally, healthy lifestyles predict health attitudes, but health attitudes do not explain behavioural intentions. The results suggest that social marketers and brand managers should focus more on personal attributes (i.e. health self-identity and self-efficacy beliefs) than social factors (e.g. subjective norms) to improve healthy lifestyles and health-promoting behaviours. This study adds to the growing body of knowledge on healthy lifestyles by highlighting its underlying mechanisms.