The present study used a discounting task with differing contextual variables to examine how variables effect discounting between studies and future health related behaviors. Thirty nine participants completed two discounting questionnaires, each included hypothetical food choices paired with a weight loss or stable weight. Participants were instructed to complete each survey based on either their current weight or a gain of 75 pounds, and each survey included two identical hypothetical menu options. One menu incorporated low calorie foods, while the other incorporated moderately healthy foods, and participants were instructed to select the menu they preferred based on weight loss/no weight loss and hypothetical weight presented in instruction. Visual analysis of the results showed a difference in discounting across the conditions; participants appeared to be more impulsive at their current weight. At normal weight, visual analysis of the switch values show that the proportional value of the switch ranged from 1.0 at the lowest proportional delay level to .75 at proportional delay 1. In the hypothetical weight gain condition, this occurred at a level of .95 at the lowest proportional delay and .75 at delay 1. In a visual analysis of AUC comparisons, participants’ scores are higher in the 75 pound weight condition than the normal weight condition, and farther from 0 in the 75 pound weight condition.

This study investigated the specific health-promoting behaviors employed by early adolescents (n = 246) and their subjective well-being (SWB) to provide an understanding of how mental and physical wellness relate in teens. Participants self-reported on their dietary habits, physical activity, sleep hygiene, safety habits, and attitudes toward substance use. A comprehensive assessment of SWB was also gathered (i.e., global life satisfaction, positive affect, and negative affect). The researcher hypothesized that each of the five health-promoting behaviors assessed in the current study would have significant, positive correlations with the SWB of early adolescents, in that youth who reported higher levels of engagement in these healthy behaviors also would report higher levels of happiness. Furthermore, demographic characteristics of gender, race, and socioeconomic status were hypothesized to play a moderating role in the relationship between health promotion and happiness. Findings demonstrated that two health-promoting behaviors were significantly correlated with SWB in the current study. Increased amount of sleep per night was linked to higher SWB, while attitudes toward substance use were negatively correlated with youth's SWB. A significant percentage of the variance in SWB (15%) was accounted for by the linear combination of health-promoting behaviors, although only one of the five health promoting behaviors (i.e., attitudes toward substance use) was a unique predictor of SWB. In addition, none of the interaction terms of gender, race, and SES with health-promoting behaviors were significant predictors of SWB, indicating that moderating effects were not found for this sample. Implications for further investigation of these findings include the use of other methods for reporting health-promoting behaviors in early adolescents as well as replication of moderating effects with a more ethnically diverse sample of youth. Findings call for integration of health promotion programming into school psychology practice from a prevention to targeted level of service delivery with youth.

ABSTRACT MARY D. HILL Recalled fruit and vegetable intake while growing up and its association with adult fruit and vegetable intake among U.S. adults – analysis of the food attitudes and behaviors survey (Under the direction of DR. KYMBERLE STERLING) High dietary intake of fruits and vegetables (FVs) is associated with a lower risk for chronic disease including certain cancers, optimal child growth, and weight management. More than 72 million U.S. adults are obese; therefore, fruit and vegetable intake is important in weight management. Using data from the Food Attitude and Behavior survey, this study will address the following questions: is there a correlation between recalled fruit and vegetable intake during childhood and adult fruit and vegetable intake among U.S. adults? Secondly, is reported fruit and vegetable consumption associated with sociodemographic variables and other health-related behaviors? Results indicated there is a positive correlation between recalled FV intake and reported FV intake in adults. Therefore, public health practitioners should develop initiatives to increase the amount of FV intake in children so that these FV consumption habits may continue in adulthood.

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Objectifs : (1) Explorer et analyser les perceptions individuelles des risques de cancers toutes causes confondues et liés aux facteurs environnementaux. (2) Investiguer les liens entre ces perceptions et l'adoption de comportements en santé. (3) Identifier et analyser les déterminants de ces perceptions. Méthodes : Revues de la littérature empirique et théorique, étude qualitative auprès de personnes avec et sans antécédent(s) de cancer, étude quantitative auprès d'un échantillon représentatif de la population française. Résultats : (1) Les risques de cancers liés aux facteurs environnementaux sont un sujet de préoccupation. Une part importante des participants se percoit notamment à risque de développer des cancers liés à la pollution de l'air, aux pesticides et au stress. (2) Les adoptions de comportements en santé sont parfois associées aux perceptions des risques mais sont plus souvent associées à l'adhérence à des croyances relatives à la prévention et aux préférences visà- vis du temps et du risque. Prendre en compte l'endogénéité impacte fortement la significativié des associations entre perceptions et comportements. (3) L'adhérence à des croyances relatives aux cancers et la saillance des risques de cancers liés à l'environnement déterminent plus fortement les perceptions que les heuristiques d'affect et de disponibilité, la connaissance, le contrôle perçu et la volonté perçue des expositions aux risques, l'histoire personnelle de santé et les caractéristiques sociodémographiques. Discussion : Nos résultats, cohérents avec la littérature, permettent de mieux comprendre les perceptions individuelles des risques et peuvent servir de support au développement de politiques ciblées de santé publique / Objectives: (1) To explore and analyze individuals’ perceptions of their own cancers’ risks in general and stemming from environmental factors. (2) To investigate their relationships with individuals’ adoption of health-related behaviors. (3) To identify and analyze the determinants of these perceptions. Methods: A theoretical and an empirical literature reviews, an exploratory qualitative study among individuals with and without personal cancer history and a confirmatory quantitative study among a representative sample of the French population have been conducted. Results: (1) Cancers’ risks stemming from environmental factors are a subject of concern among French people. In particular, more than half of our sample perceived themselves at risk to develop cancers stemming from outdoor air pollution, pesticides and stress. (2) Individuals’ adoptions of health-related behaviors can be associated with their risk perceptions, but are more associated with their endorsement of prevention-related beliefs, and their time and risk preferences. Endogeneity strongly impacts the significance of associations between perceptions and behaviors. (3) Endorsement of cancers-related beliefs and salience of cancers’ risks stemming from environmental factors determine more strongly individuals’ risk perceptions than availability and affect heuristics, knowledge, perceived control and voluntariness of risk exposures, personal health history and socio-demographic characteristics. Discussion: Our results, consistent with the literature, bring new outcomes helpful to better understand individuals’ risk perceptions and to design targeted public health policies