Self-Efficacy, Health Literacy, and Nutrition and Exercise Behaviors in a Low-Income, Hispanic Population

• Published in: Journal of immigrant and minority health Vol. 19; no. 2; pp. 489 - 493
• Main Authors: Guntzviller, Lisa M., King, Andy J., Jensen, Jakob D., Davis, LaShara A.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York Springer Science + Business Media 01-04-2017; Springer US; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Acculturation; Adolescent; Adult; Adults; Age; Aged; Avoidance behavior; Barriers; Body fat; BRIEF COMMUNICATION; Capabilities; Cognitive ability; Communication; Communication (Thought Transfer); Comparative Law; Competence; Consumption; Cronbach's alpha; Cultural heritage; Departments; Diabetes; Diet - ethnology; Effectiveness; Epistemology; Ethnic Groups; Exercise; Extension Education; Female; Food; Fruit; Fruits; Grade 1; Health behavior; Health Behavior - ethnology; Health care; Health education; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice - ethnology; Health literacy; Health Literacy - statistics & numerical data; Healthy food; Hispanic Americans; Hispanic Americans - statistics & numerical data; Humans; Income; International & Foreign Law; Language; Latin American cultural groups; Literacy; Low Income; Low income groups; Male; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Mexican Americans - statistics & numerical data; Mexican people; Middle Aged; Minority & ethnic groups; Noncitizens; Nutrition; Obesity; Physical activity; Physical fitness; Physical training; Poverty; Predictor Variables; Private International Law; Public Health; Reading Comprehension; Self; Self Efficacy; Social cognitive theory; Socioeconomic factors; Sociology; Studies; Underserved populations; United States - epidemiology; Variables; Vegetables; Young Adult; United States > US; Health literacy; Exercise and physical activity; Social cognitive theory; Nutrition; Hispanic; Self-efficacy
• ISSN: 1557-1912; 1557-1920
• DOI: 10.1007/s10903-016-0384-4

Public health goals have emphasized healthy nutrition and exercise behaviors, especially in underserved populations. According to social cognitive theory (SCT), self-efficacy and capability (e.g., health literacy) may interact to predict preventative behaviors. We surveyed 100 low-income, native Spanish-speakers living in the United States who were low in English proficiency and predominantly of Mexican heritage. Participants reported their nutritional and exercise self-efficacy, Spanish health literacy, and nutrition and physical activity behaviors. Consistent with SCT, the interaction of self-efficacy and health literacy significantly predicted fruit and vegetable consumption and weekly exercise, and marginally predicted avoidance of high fat foods. For all three interactions, higher health literacy levels strengthened the positive relationship between self-efficacy and health behaviors. The results offer support for the tenets of SCT and suggest—for low-income, Spanish-speaking adults—that a combination of behavioral confidence and literacy capability are necessary to enact appropriate health behaviors.