Boomers’ Intention to Choose Healthy Housing Materials: An Application of the Health Belief Model

Hyun Joo Kwon and Mira Ahn
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Hyun Joo Kwon: Department of Interior & Environmental Design, Pusan National University, Pusan National Univ. Road 63-2, Geumjeong-Ku, Busan 46241, Korea
Mira Ahn: School of Family and Consumer Sciences, Texas State University, San Marcos, TX 78666, USA

Sustainability, 2019, vol. 11, issue 18, 1-13

Abstract: This study aims to understand the decision-making process of healthy housing material selection of boomers who were born between 1946 and 1964 in the United States within the Health Belief Model (HBM) framework incorporating personal factors. The main constructs were three HBM components (perceived benefits, threats, and barriers), personal domains (knowledge, health concerns, and sensitivity to housing materials), and behavioral intention to choose healthy housing materials. With a nationwide random sample of boomers living in their homes (N = 306), path analysis was used to test the proposed research model. The findings indicate that behavioral intention to choose healthy housing materials is influenced by perceived benefits and threats. Of the personal factors, the knowledge component is directly and indirectly significantly associated with the behavioral intention. Insignificant association of perceived barriers and other personal components (health concerns and sensitivity) to the intention and the HBM components yield meaningful implications and discussions. The contribution of the HBM application to this study is to provide a foundation for understanding healthy housing material choosing behaviors for the general prevention of potential health issue purposes rather than actual maintenance. This paper discusses the significance of breadth and reliability of knowledge and the role of the relevant professionals to provide and communicate this knowledge.

Keywords: Health Belief Model; healthy housing materials; behavioral intention; knowledge; boomers (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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