Exploring the Theory of Planned Behavior to Explain Sugar-sweetened Beverage Consumption

Objective: To describe sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) consumption and to establish psychometric properties and utility of a Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) instrument for SSB consumption. Methods: This cross-sectional survey included 119 southwest Virginia participants. Most of the respondents were female (66%), white (89%), and had at least a high school education (79%), and their average age was 41.4 ± 13.5 years. A validated beverage questionnaire was used to measure SSB. Eleven TPB constructs were assessed with a 56-item instrument. Analyses included descriptive statistics, 1-way ANOVA, Cronbach α, and multiple regression. Results: Sugar-sweetened beverage intake averaged 457 ± 430 kcal/d. The TPB model provided a moderate explanation of SSB intake (R ² = 0.38; F = 13.10, P < .01). Behavioral intentions had the strongest relationships with SSB consumption, followed by attitudes, perceived behavioral control, and subjective norms. The 6 belief constructs did not predict significant variance in the models. Conclusions and Implications: Future efforts to comprehensively develop and implement interventions guided by the TPB hold promise for reducing SSB intake.