Do good intentions lead to healthy food choices? Background: Emerging research shows a clear link between dietary choice and physical and mental health outcomes. As such, there is a need for interventions to improve the dietary choices of individuals. However, interventions will only be successful if they address the psychosocial factors that are responsible for poor dietary choices. This research considered the extent to which individuals who intend to engage in healthy food choices are able to translate that intention into action. Method: Three studies considered the extent to which individuals’ were able to translate dietary intentions into action across a range of contexts including: adherence to dietary guidelines among pregnant women (Study 1), gluten-free diet adherence among individuals with coeliac disease (Study 2), and young adults’ consumption of breakfast (Study 3). In each study individuals indicated their intention to engage in the relevant dietary behaviour and reported their corresponding dietary behaviour at the same (Study 2) or subsequent time-points (Study 1 & 3). Results: Intention to engage in healthy dietary choices was very high across all samples. However, data from all three studies showed that highly motivated people often failed to translate good dietary intentions into healthy food choices. This “intention-behaviour gap” was seen across a range of contexts. Conclusion: Difficulty in achieving healthy diet cannot be accounted for by a lack of motivation within these samples. It appears that intention may be a necessary but not sufficient determinant of healthy diet. These findings suggest that interventions that attempt to change dietary behaviour by increasing motivation will have limited impact. There is a clear need to consider potential moderators of the intention-behaviour relationship in order to achieve desired changes in dietary behaviour.

1. Do good intentions lead
to healthy food choices?
Emily Kothe
School of Psychology, Deakin University
@emilyandthelime

2. People consistently fail to translate
good intentions into good
behaviour
Inclined abstainers Inclined actors
Disinclined abstainers Disinclined actors

3. People consistently fail to translate
good intentions into good
behaviour
Inclined abstainers Inclined actors
Disinclined abstainers Disinclined actors

4. People consistently fail to translate
good intentions into good
behaviour
Across behaviours, median proportion of people
who intend to act and then fail to do so is 47%
(Sheeran, 2002)
57% of women who indicate they intend to
undergo cervical cancer screening fail to do so
within 1 year (Orbell & Sheeran, 1998)
46% of people who intend to exercise, do not
(Rhodes & de Bruijn, 2013)
The extent to which intention to engage in dietary
behaviours translates to adherence to dietary
behaviours has not been systematically
investigated.

5. Inclined abstention within dietary
behaviour
Study 1: adherence to dietary guidelines among
pregnant women
Study 2: gluten-free diet adherence among
individuals with coeliac disease
Study 3: young adults’ consumption of breakfast

6. Motivated abstention in pregnant
women
250 pregnant women reported motivation to engage
in a healthy diet (18 weeks) and adherence to dietary
guidelines (32 weeks).
Motivation was operationalized as scoring above
neutral on measures of importance, confidence, and
readiness.
Adherence to dietary guidelines was assessed
using a FFQ.
Consumption of mostly reduced fat dairy
Consumption of 2+ serves of dairy each day
Consumption of 2+ serves of fruit each day
Consumption of 4+ serves of vegetables each day*

7. Motivated abstention in pregnant
women
78% of the pregnant women meet the criteria of
“motivated”
90% of motivated women failed to adhere to at
least one dietary guideline

8. Inclined abstention in gluten-free
diet
105 individuals with biopsy confirmed coeliac
disease reported intention to strictly adhere to
the gluten free diet and adherence to the diet at a
single timepoint.
Intention was measured using a single item from
the Biagi coeliac adherence measure
Gluten free diet adherence was measured
using the Coeliac Dietary Adherence Test
(CDAT)

9. Inclined abstention in gluten-free
diet
Participants were classified as according to status
Inclined abstainers
Reported never intentionally consuming
gluten
Less than strict adherence according to
the CDAT
Inclined actors
Reported never intentionally consuming
gluten
Strict adherence according to the CDAT
Disinclined abstainers
Reported intentionally consuming gluten
Less than strict adherence according to
the CDAT
Disinclined actors
Reported intentionally consuming gluten
Strict adherence according to the CDAT

10. Inclined abstention in gluten free
diet
30% of adults with biopsy confirmed coeliac
disease who intended to always follow the diet
failed to do so
Inclined abstainers accounted for 90% of
inadequate adherence

11. Inclined abstention in breakfast
consumption
349 university students reported intention to eat
breakfast (Time 1) and actual breakfast consumption
(Time 2).
Intention was measured on a 7 point scale where
higher scores indicated stronger intention.
Breakfast consumption individuals indicated the
number of days in the previous week they had
consumed breakfast on a self-report questionnaire
Kothe, E. J., Mullan, B. A., & Amaratunga, R. (2011). Randomised controlled trial of a brief
theory-based intervention promoting breakfast consumption. Appetite, 56(1), 148-155.

12. Inclined abstention in breakfast
consumption
Participants were classified as according to status
Inclined abstainers
Scored 5 or above in intention at Time 1
Skipped breakfast 3 or more times a week
at Time 2
Inclined actors
Scored 5 or above in intention at Time 1
Ate breakfast 5 or more times a week at
Time 2
Disinclined abstainers
Scored 5 or above in intention at Time 1
Skipped breakfast 3 or more times a week
at Time 2
Disinclined actors
Scored 3 or below in intention at Time 1
Ate breakfast 5 or more times a week at
Time 2
Kothe, E. J., Mullan, B. A., & Amaratunga, R. (2011). Randomised controlled trial of a brief
theory-based intervention promoting breakfast consumption. Appetite, 56(1), 148-155.

13. Inclined abstention in breakfast
consumption
63% of young adults who intended to regularly
consume breakfast failed to do so.
Inclined abstainers made up 77% of all breakfast
skippers
Kothe, E. J., Mullan, B. A., & Amaratunga, R. (2011). Randomised controlled trial of a brief
theory-based intervention promoting breakfast consumption. Appetite, 56(1), 148-155.

14. Summary of results
Intention to engage in healthy dietary choices
was very high across all samples.
However, all three studies showed that highly
motivated people often failed to translate good
dietary intentions into healthy food choices.
Inclined abstention accounted for the majority of
poor adherence to healthy dietary patterns
across all contexts.

15. Implications
Difficulty in achieving healthy diet cannot be
accounted for by a lack of motivation.
It appears that intention may be a necessary but
not sufficient determinant of healthy diet.
Interventions that attempt to change dietary
behaviour by increasing motivation will have
limited impact.

16. My collaborators
Study 1
A/Prof Helen Skouteris (Deakin University)
Dr Matthew Fuller-Tyszkiewicz (Deakin University)
Dr Skye McPhie (Deakin University)
Briony Hill (Deakin University)
Study 2
A/Prof Barbara Mullan (Curtin University)
Lauren Smith (University of Sydney)
Study 3
A/Prof Barbara Mullan (Curtin University)