PHD, Kent State University, 2020, College of Nursing

Background: Coronary artery disease (CAD) is the leading cause of death worldwide and is responsible for over 7 million deaths yearly all over the world. In developing countries such as Jordan, the incidence of coronary arteries disease exceeds that of developed countries. More than 35% of total deaths are related to CAD in Jordan. Decreased physical activity is common among Jordanians and it is one factor that may lead to CAD in Jordan. There is sparse research, including theory-based research, examining the lack of physical activity among Jordanian patients. Additionally, cultural restrictions that fuel motivation and support may contribute to a lack of physical activity participation among Jordanian patients. Purpose: The purpose of this study, utilizing the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) as the framework, was to understand the intentions of Jordanian CAD patients to engage in physical activity through the examination of attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control. Methods: A cross-sectional study examined whether attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control predict Jordanian CAD patients' intentions to participate in physical activity by using an Arabic-translated instrument that is based on the TPB. Additionally, the study explored the barriers to participating in physical activity. Results: Descriptive and Inferential statistics were used to analyze the sample characteristics and answer the research questions. A good Cronbach's alpha (0.87) was reported for the TPB questionnaire of the physical activity. The results indicated that the TPB predictors (attitude, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control) explained 11.2 % of the variance in physical activity intention after controlling age and gender. Perceived behavioral control was the only significant predictor of physical activity intention. For the open-ended questions, feelings of exhaustion, in addition to the lack of time, family support, and shortage o (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Dana Hansen (Committee Chair); Barbara Broome (Committee Member); Amy Petrinec (Committee Member); Donna Bernert (Committee Member); John Updegraff (Other) Subjects: Middle Eastern Studies; Nursing; Physical Education

Master of Science (MS), Ohio University, 2018, Journalism (Communication)

Convincing Western society of a "nutrition turnaround" towards more plant-based eating habits is imperative to save the planet and the health of society. Wiemer (2018) examined the media effects of tailored (to internal or external motivations) video messages on people's progress and intention to change towards a plant-based, vegan diet. Consistent with her hypotheses, participants' intention, perceived behavioral control and moral obligation to follow a plant-based, vegan diet was positively strengthened by watching a tailored intervention message. Pro-vegan advocacy journalists and NGO campaigners are therefore advised to tailor the content of their pro- vegan communication to appeal more effectively to narrower target groups. However, they can better affect their audiences' attitudes and perceived social pressure through campaigns that integrate veganism into everyday life and turn it into a socially accepted and desired behavior over time. Conceptualizing vegan eating habits as social practice, rather than a cognitive choice, opens up new approaches to intervention and advocating communication strategies.

Committee: Anne Bartsch Prof. (Committee Chair); Parul Jain Dr. (Committee Member); Alexander Godulla Prof. (Committee Member) Subjects: Communication; Journalism

Master of Science (MS), Ohio University, 2018, Recreation Studies (Education)

If outdoor adventure education (OAE) programming is to remain relevant amidst changing U.S demographics, the industry must more fully embrace inclusive practice as it strives to serve an increasingly diverse population of students. One way to meet this need could be through understanding Outward Bound (OB) instructors' intentions to use inclusive practices. The Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) was used as a theoretical framework to examine the factors driving instructors' intentions to use inclusive practices. Intention to perform a particular behavior can be explained through an individual's attitude, subjective norm, and perceived behavioral control of a particular behavior. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine the extent to which attitudes, subjective norm, and perceived behavioral control predict OB instructors' intention to use inclusive practices. A follow-up qualitative study using in-depth, semistructured interviews was conducted to better understand the unique characteristics and influential conditions of a select group of OB instructors' inclusive praxis. Results of each study are presented in this thesis. Discussion of the significant theoretical and practical implication are also discussed.

Committee: Andrew Szolosi Ph.D (Advisor); Bruce Martin Ph.D (Committee Member); Laura Harrison Ph.D (Committee Member) Subjects: Education; Educational Sociology; Pedagogy; Recreation; Social Psychology; Social Research; Sociology

Master of Arts, The Ohio State University, 2016, Communication

More cancer survivors than ever before are living five years or longer past their initial diagnosis. Cancer and its treatment are often not the end of chronic health issues among survivors. The comorbidity of interest in this study is obesity. Cancer survivors often gain weight during treatment, and rarely return to their pre-treatment weight. The purpose of this study to explore how to best frame nutrition messages for cancer survivors, which may help to reduce obesity and ultimately improve the quality of life among survivors. Utilizing the Integrated Model of Behavioral Prediction (IMBP), it was predicted that messages would predict attitudes, norms, and perceived behavioral control, which would in turn predict fruit and vegetable intentions. A mixed methods design was used to test the effectiveness of two message formats, narrative and non-narrative. Messages were pre-tested among (N = 10) cancer survivors using semi-structured interviews. The message pre-test revealed that both narrative and non-narrative formats were equivalent in content. The main study utilized an experimental design whereby (N=211) saw either the experimental (narrative) or control (non-narrative) message on fruit and vegetable consumption. Results indicated no significant differences between condition. Of the determinants of intention in the IMBP, only perceived behavioral control predicted fruit and vegetable intentions at follow-up. Future research in this area should consider tailoring narrative formats, and focus on the multifaceted nature of energy balance.

Committee: Shelly Hovick Ph.D. (Advisor); Lanier Holt Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Communication

Master of Science, The Ohio State University, 2010, Human Ecology: Textiles and Clothing

Previous research supported the predictive effectiveness of the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) model, and extended it to explain consumers' behaviors in various social friendly behavioral settings. However, little research has used a psychosocial perspective to examine the predictors of consumers' purchase intentions towards socially responsible products. The present study provides an empirical application of the TPB model to increase understanding of socially responsible purchasing. Based on a literature review, in this study I add personal moral norms as a predictor of purchase intention, along with the other three predictors in the original TPB model. Based on the results of an online survey of 198 college students, the original TPB model and the extended model are tested and compared regarding the predictive power for purchasing intention. The relationships of the personal norm to other volitional variables, i.e. attitude and subjective norm, are also discussed, in order to have a better understanding of the comprehensive role of personal norms in a normative-related context.

Committee: Leslie Stoel (Advisor); Margaret Binkley (Committee Member); Jae Eun Chung (Committee Member) Subjects: Marketing

Master of Science, The Ohio State University, 2009, Textiles and Clothing

This study examines the market potential of US-made US-brand (UMUB) soy-based dietary supplements (DS) for Chinese consumers. The Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) is employed, along with demographics (age, gender, income and education) and personal characteristics (health status, diet and dining habits, exercises, and product knowledge), to explore Chinese consumers' attitudes and intention toward using UMUB soy-based DS. This is an empirical and cross-sectional survey of self-reported data from 215 Chinese adults (137 female and 78 male). The random sampling procedure and street intercept method were used. The results indicate that among older Chinese people, those who favor eating tofu and who never or frequently dine out are regarded as the major population who intends to use UMUB soy-based DS. Chinese consumers' attitudes toward using UMUB soy-based DS and perceived behavioral control (capability and controllability as well as marketer distrust) are identified as significant predictors of their intention to use these products (p<0.001, p<0.001, and p<0.005, respectively). However, subjective norms are found to have no influence on behavioral intention (p>0.1).

Committee: Jae-Eun Chung (Advisor); Leslie Stoel (Committee Member); Omer Ozturk (Committee Member) Subjects: Behaviorial Sciences; Demographics; Food Science; Health; Marketing; Nutrition; Psychology; Statistics

Doctor of Philosophy, University of Akron, 2010, Counseling Psychology

College students who have been mandated to alcohol-related interventions are an understudied population. As a result, little is known about the variables which are important in explaining these students' intentions for high-risk alcohol consumption. Deepening understanding of the underlying motivational factors associated with alcohol-related intentions in this population could lead to more effective interventions and prevention strategies aimed at decreasing alcohol harms. For this purpose, the current study is the first to examine the theory of planned behavior (TPB; Ajzen, 1991) as a statistically predictive model for alcohol-related intentions among college students mandated for intervention. A sample of 77 mandated college students completed questionnaires measuring the TPB variables of attitude, subjective norm, perceived behavioral control, and intention to drink to intoxication. Regression analyses were used to test the explanatory power of the TPB for intention to drink to intoxication, after controlling for social desirability. Further, the impact of impulsivity and aversiveness of alcohol-related consequence (Barnett et al., 2006) were tested alongside the TPB variables as an extension of the theory. Results showed partial support for the TPB in explaining alcohol-related intentions in this sample of college students who were mandated for alcohol intervention. In particular, attitude and subjective norm explained unique variance in intention to drink to intoxication in this sample even after controlling for the variance accounted for by social desirability. Exploratory analyses revealed that attitude, subjective norm, and perceived behavioral control explained unique variance in intention to drink to intoxication for participants who were the heaviest and most frequent drinkers in this sample, which suggested that the TPB was fully supported for this subsample of students. Neither impulsivity nor aversiveness of alcohol-related consequence improved the (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Linda Subich Ph.D. (Advisor) Subjects: Psychology