Predicting healthy lifestyle behavior among married people: integrating theory of planned behavior, health belief model, body image dissatisfaction and habit

Purpose This study aimed to investigate the determinants of healthy lifestyle behavior in married people. It also sought to propose an integrative model that incorporates variables from two theoretical models, namely, the theory of planned behavior (TPB) and the health belief model (HBM), as well as two additional variables, namely habit and body image dissatisfaction. Design/methodology/approach Questionnaires were used to gather data, and structural equation modeling (SEM) was applied for statistical analysis. Data were collected from 404 respondents using several assessment tools, including the Health Belief Model Scale, the Theory of Planned Behavior Scale, the Healthy Lifestyle Belief Scale, the Body Area Scale, and the Creature of Habit Scale. Findings The findings showed that perceived severity is the predictor of a healthy lifestyle attitude, followed by subjective norm, perceived behavior control, and healthy lifestyle attitude as the primary attendants of intention. Meanwhile, it was found that a healthy lifestyle attitude is a significant mediator in the perceived severity and healthy lifestyle intention relationship. The suggested model outperforms the original TPB and HBM models in predictive ability, proving its utility and efficacy in describing healthy lifestyle behavior. Originality/value Adding constructs in the TPB and HBM models contributed considerably to improving the understanding of healthy lifestyle behavior among married people. Governments and policymakers might utilize the findings to design and execute a new program or a sustained healthy lifestyle for married people.