Author: Ayesha
Supervisor: Iram Fatima, PhD
Degree: MS
Year: 2014-2016
University: Institute of Applied Psychology, Punjab University, Lahore, Pakistan
Abstract
Experimental research was conducted to test the protection motivation theory to reduce junk food consumption in adolescents. Sample of 66 participants with an age range of 13-19 years were selected from a private school. 50 students were present at all three stages of assessments pre, post and follow up. Risk Behavior Diagnostic Scale (witte et al., 1992) was used to measure perceived susceptibility, perceived severity, perceived efficacy, self-efficacy, and intentions. Junk Food Frequency Checklist was developed to measure junk food consumption behavior. An intervention manual was developed to conduct the experiment with the help of previous literature. It was hypothesized that perceived susceptibility, perceived severity, response efficacy, self-efficacy and intentions after intervention will be higher than pre intervention. Further, it was also expected that junk food consumption will also reduce after intervention. Results revealed that there were significant increase on response efficacy, self-efficacy, susceptibility to threat, severity of threat and intention to change the junk food eating behavior at pre to post and follow up level whereas significant reduction in junk food eating behavior was reported from only pre to follow up and post to follow-up level. Study results imply usefulness of PMT based educational programmes to reduce junk food consumption among adolescents.
Keywords: Testing Protection Motivation Theory, Junk Food Consumption, Adolescents.
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Corresponding Address: Department of Applied Psychology, University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan. Email: chairperson@appsy.pu.edu.pk, Phone: 92-42-9231245
