Determinants of positive health behavior in middle childhood.

The purpose of this study was to determine the contributions of sociodemographic variables, health experiences, family functioning, self-esteem, intrinsic motivation, and health perception to the health behaviors of preadolescent children. A convenience sample of 9- and 10-year-old children (N = 260) and their mothers responded to self-report questionnaires. Health behaviors were found to be gender specific and formed partially through a set of background variables that are largely fixed and nonmodifiable; these variables then interface with explanatory, modifiable factors that include the child's self-esteem, intrinsic motivation, and perceptions of health. Two models are described; 53% of the variance in girls' behavior and 63% of the variance in boys' behavior are explained.