Does Attitude Associate, Correlate, Or Cause Behaviour? An Assessment Of Attitude Towards Health Behaviour Under One Health Approach In Morogoro, Tanzania

Abstract

Literature doesn‘t empirically posit it very clear whether attitude associates to, correlates or cause certain health behaviours. Yet; little that is known is limited to associating attitudes with health behaviour in the context which did not take into account the interaction of humans, animals and the environment. A cross sectional study was conducted in Morogoro urban and Mvomero districts in Tanzania , aiming at:- (i)assessing attitudes over health behaviour under the interface of humans, animals and the environment; and, (ii) analyzing associations, correlations and causality existing between attitudes on health behaviour and health impairing habits/practices under One Health Approach. The sample comprised of 240 respondents obtained through a multistage sampling procedure. Data was collected through a structured questionnaire using a Computer Assisted Personal Interviewing (CAPI) electronic platform. Associations between attitude and health behavior were modest at p value=<0.001, correlation coefficient was significant with r = .235 and p-value = <0.01, and no evidence of having attitudes directly causing certain behaviours was established. In logit regression analysis, health literacy was found to predict health behaviours too. Individual behaviors performed in a particular context tend to be influenced not only by general attitudes but by a wide range of additional factors.