Inter- and intraindividual determinants of bicycle helmet use from a health behaviour perspective

Determinants of wearing a bicycle helmet were examined. Interindividual differences in helmet wearing were formalized with three different health psychological theories. The Protection Motivation Theory (PMT) [1], explains intention for a health behavior using subjective beliefs on the efficacy and costs of a specific health behavior, self-efficacy and risk and severity of negative consequences as well as benefits of not doing said behavior. The Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) [2] uses attitude, subjective norms and behavioral control about a (health) behavior to predict intention to a behavior, which in turn can predict actual behavior. Lastly, the Health Action Process Approach (HAPA) [3] is similar to PMT, but puts more emphasis on self-efficacy while omitting costs of beneficial behavior. lt includes both intention and behavior, as well as planning as an intermediate step between intention and behavior. [From: Theory