A Two-Value Model of Preventive Health Behavior

Abstract

Correlational analyses examined the effects of value "availability" and "relevance" on the relation between people's values (Rokeach, 1967) and their directrisk (DR) and indirect-risk (IR) health behavior (Langlie, 1977). The DR behavior of 181 female undergraduates was more strongly associated with their valuation of "an exciting life" than of "health"; a measure of "relative health value," in which the value of health was evaluated relative to the value of an exciting life, showed the strongest covariation with both their DR and IR actions. Thus, compared to health, an exciting life appeared to be more consciously available to these participants. Further, whereas the value of an exciting life and the measure of relative health value seemed to be regarded as relevant guides to both types of behavior, the value of health did not. Hence these results suggest that a two-value model of health behavior, based on the measure of relative health value, may be the best predictor of the health behavior of younger people. Among a sample of 113 older adults, the values of health and an exciting life were equally able to account for DR, but not IR, actions, suggesting that these values were equally available to these participants. Only the value of health, however, appeared to be regarded as a relevant guide to their IR actions, thereby suggesting that, whereas the two-value model may account for the DR behavior of older adults, the value of health alone may be a better predictor of their IR actions. The. implications for health research and education are discussed.

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