Testing the influence of the health belief model and a television program on nutrition behavior.

This study proposed to identify relevant factors of the health belief model (HBM) that provide motivation for people to engage in healthy dietary behavior. The impact of a TV program was also assessed using a longitudinal study with 300 participants and measuring the influence of path coefficients in the HBM that predicted salience, motivation, and healthy eating practices. Findings suggested that nutrition behavior was influenced by susceptibility and efficacy mediated through health motivation and salience. Program viewing boosted salience regardless of age, education, or household size by significantly increasing viewers' confidence in their nutrition knowledge base.