Exploring the Role of Intrinsic Motivation in Healthy Eating Intentions: An Extension of the Theory of Planned Behavior in Chinese Adults

Abstract

Background: Unhealthy diets are a leading cause of obesity, which increases the risk of chronic diseases such as hypertension, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular conditions. The theory of planned behavior (TPB) explains eating intentions through attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control (PBC), yet these constructs may not fully account for the complexity of intention formation. Motivation has been identified as a stronger predictor of the maintenance of long-term healthy behaviors. This study extends the TPB by introducing motivation as a mediating variable to examine whether attitudes and subjective norms influence motivation, which in turn affects behavioral intention. Methods: An online survey was conducted between 2019 and 2023, collecting responses from 2114 adults residing in Beijing, Shanghai, and selected regions of Anhui, Daqing, and Henan. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was employed to examine the relationships among the TPB constructs, motivation, and behavioral intention. Results: SEM analysis revealed significant associations between attitude and subjective norms with motivation. Additionally, motivation and PBC were significantly associated with behavioral intention. Motivation was found to mediate the relationships between attitude and intention (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.004-0.021, p = 0.004) and subjective norms and intention (95% CI: 0.013-0.035, p = 0.012). Conclusions: These findings suggest that attitudes and subjective norms enhance motivation for healthy eating among Chinese adults. In turn, motivation-along with PBC-plays a key role in predicting behavioral intention. Future research should further explore the mediating role of motivation in shaping healthy eating intentions within the TPB framework.

Keywords: Chinese adults; behavior; healthy eating; motivation.

Figure 1

Theory of planned behavior.

Figure 2

Path diagram.

Figure 3

Descriptive standardized path coefficients for the SEM. ¹ Path analysis diagram. Orange is used to highlight the indirect effect of attitude on behavioral intention through motivation; blue is used to highlight the indirect effect of subjective norms on behavioral intention through motivation.