Relationships between knowledge and belief variables and health maintenance behaviors in a Danish population over 45 years of age.

The growing body of evidence regarding the importance of self-care behavior for the maintenance of health and functional capacity has stimulated research interest in identifying the factors and processes that influence health-related behavior. This article examines relationships between health knowledge and belief variables and two types of health maintenance behavior: (a) routine habits that affect health and (b) deliberately undertaken health-protective behavior. The findings suggest that generalized health beliefs may have limited influence on behavior. Health locus of control beliefs may be related to behavioral change, but were not related to either current tobacco and alcohol consumption or to conscious health maintenance behaviors. It is concluded that more attention needs to be directed toward cultural influences on health beliefs and behavior.