Mediating effect of healthy lifestyle intention and moderating effects of body image on healthy lifestyle behaviours among married people in Peninsular Malaysia

Healthier individuals are more likely to get married and stay married because they are seen as more desirable spouses due to criteria including physical attractiveness, financial potential, mental well-being, degree of self-sufficiency, and predicted lifespan. This study is to examine the factors influencing healthy lifestyle behaviour among married individuals in Peninsular Malaysia. The conceptual model for this study was adapted from the theory of planned behaviour developed by Ajzen (1991). In their model, three variables were included, i.e., healthy lifestyle attitude, subjective norm and perceived behavioural control. However, this study also included variables that came from Rosenstock’s health belief model (1974), i.e., perceived severity, perceived benefits and perceived barriers. The framework of this study suggests that healthy lifestyle attitude, subjective norm, perceived behavioural control, perceived severity, perceived benefits and perceived barriers will positively influence the healthy lifestyle behaviour. In addition, healthy lifestyle intention and self-efficacy may mediate the factors on healthy lifestyle behaviour of married individuals. Furthermore, the role of body image as a moderator for healthy lifestyle intention and healthy lifestyle behaviour is also examined. Generally, this study examines the mediating effect of healthy lifestyle intention and moderating effect of body image to determine the healthy lifestyle behaviour among married individuals in Peninsular Malaysia. Using the digital self-administered electronic questionnaire using Google Form, a survey was conducted in four major geographical areas in Peninsular Malaysia, i.e., Central, Southern, Northern and Eastern region. In total, 384 questionnaires needed to fulfil the minimum of the sample size based on Krejcie & Morgan (1970), 409 were received back within the period of seven weeks. All 409 questionnaires were used for the analysis process. Analysis of Moment Structures (SEM-AMOS) was employed to test the 26 hypotheses of this study, including the mediating effect of healthy lifestyle intention and self-efficacy on the relationship between healthy lifestyle attitude, subjective norm, perceived behavioural control, perceived severity, perceived benefits and perceived barriers with healthy lifestyle behaviour. The results indicated that perceived behavioural control and perceived barriers is significantly related with healthy lifestyle behaviour. Furthermore, the result revealed that healthy lifestyle intention can significantly mediate the relationship between healthy lifestyle attitude and subjective norm with healthy lifestyle behaviour. In addition, self-efficacy also can significantly mediate perceived behavioural control and healthy lifestyle behaviour. From the results, perceived behavioural control was the most dominant factor which influenced the healthy lifestyle behaviour. This study makes theoretical, methodological and practical implications, especially on the role of healthy lifestyle intention as a mediator and body image as a moderator. It also contributed in terms of the theoretical implication on the extended theory of planned behaviour with health belief model. Furthermore, this study also identifies some important implications for health professionals to practice or implements healthy lifestyle behaviour in daily lives. Further study should be conducted to uncover additional characteristics that may impact adherence to healthy lifestyle activities.

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