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Introduction: Asian-Indians haveahigh incidence rate ot osteoporosis. Assessing knowledge and beliefs is the first step towards improving health behaviors to decrease the prevalence of osteoporosis. It is in this context that the purpose ot this study is to assess Mississippian Asian- Indians' osteoporosis-related knowledge, beliefs, and self-efficacy. Methods: A cross-sectional study design was utilized. Convenience sampling and snowball sampling were used to recruit participants in North Mississippi. Participants were asked to complete a self- administered questionnaire. Descriptive statistics were performed to assess levels of knowledge, beliefs, and self-efficacy. Pearson correlation analysis and independent sample t-tests were conducted to assess the potential relationships between study variables. Results: This study had a total of 10S participants. The average age ot participants was 28 years. About two-thirds (65.7%) ofthe participants were males. Participants demonstrated low-levels of osteoporosis knowledge, perceived severity, and perceived susceptibility. On the other hand, participants had high levels ot perceived self-efficacy and moderate levels of health motivation. Moreover, results indicated that females perceived they had a greater risk ot osteoporosis. Conclusion: There is a need for health education programs directed towards addressing osteoporosis-related knowledge. In addition, there is a need to change beliefs and perceptions about osteoporosis among Asian-Indians. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: The multitheory model (MTM) is a newly developed fourth-generation theoretical framework that addresses both initiation and sustenance of health behavior change. Studies have shown that the MTM is efficacious in predicting a range of health behaviors., Objective: To assess the utility of the MTM in predicting initiation and sustenance of physical activity behavior among osteopathic medical students., Methods: In this cross-sectional study, a volunteer convenience sample was recruited from an osteopathic medical school student population at a university in the southeastern region of the United States. An online survey was used to collect self-reported data on sociodemographic information and MTM constructs. Multiple linear regression using the enter method for modeling was performed to determine the predictive ability of the MTM constructs., Results: Of the 135 participants, 52.6% were women and 67.7% were white. The initiation model explained 25.8% of the variance (adjusted R2=0.238). Behavioral confidence was a statistically significant predictor of initiation of physical activity behavior change. The sustenance model explained 41.7% of the variance (adjusted R2=0.402). Changes in social environment and emotional transformation were statistically significant predictors of sustenance of physical activity behavior change., Conclusion: The MTM appears to be a robust theoretical framework for designing behavior change interventions to increase physical activity among osteopathic medical students.

Context: Consuming a diet rich in fruits and vegetables offers numerous health benefits. However, many college students do not consume the recommended amount of fruits and vegetables daily., Objective: To predict change in fruit and vegetable consumption behavior among college students who were not eating the recommended amount of fruits and vegetables using the multitheory model (MTM) of behavior change., Methods: In this cross-sectional study, a 38-item face-, content-, and construct-valid survey was sent to college students at a large university in the southeastern United States. Students were included in the analysis if they were aged at least 18 years and ate less than 5 cups of fruits and vegetables per day. The survey was broken into sections based on the MTM constructs of initiation of behavior change (participatory dialogue, behavioral confidence, and changes in physical environment) and sustenance of behavior change (emotional transformation, practice for change, and changes in social environment). Stepwise multiple regression was conducted to predict behavior change regarding fruit and vegetable consumption., Results: Of the 5000 potential respondents, 175 completed the survey and were included in the analysis. Behavioral confidence and changes in physical environment were statistically significant predictors of the intention to initiate fruit and vegetable consumption (F2,173=59.700; P<.001) and accounted for 40.2% of the variance. Emotional transformation, practice for change, and changes in social environment were statistically significant predictors for the intention to sustain fruit and vegetable consumption (F3,171=26.374; P<.001) and accounted for 30.4% of the variance., Conclusion: Survey results showed that the MTM is a useful framework for designing behavior change interventions to promote fruit and vegetable consumption among college students.