TESTING 4 COMPETING THEORIES OF HEALTH-PROTECTIVE BEHAVIOR

Four competing theories of health-protective behavior are reviewed: th e health belief model, the theory of reasoned action, protection motiv ation theory, and subjective expected utility theory. In spite of thei r commonalities, these models are seldom tested against one another. T he review points out the similarities and differences among these theo ries and the data and analyses needed to compare them. In addition to describing the content of the models, their conceptualization of key v ariables, and the combinatorial rules used to make predictions, some g eneral problems in theory development and testing for health behaviors are examined. The article's goal is to help investigators design stud ies that will clarify the strengths and weaknesses of these models, le ading toward a better understanding of health behavior.