Beigzadeh M, Khaledian A, Amirian Z, Ramezani F, Hosseini A, Ghasemi A H et al . Mediating Role of Behavioral Intention in the Relationship Between the Constructs of Norm Activation Theory and Plastic Bag Consumption Behavior among Students of Saveh University of Medical Sciences. IBJ 2024; 28 (7) :401-401 URL: http://ibj.pasteur.ac.ir/article-1-4838-en.html
Introduction: The status of plastic bag consumption in Iran is very concerning. According to unofficial information, the daily consumption of plastic bags in Iran is reported to be 500 tons; in the country, it is reported to be 3000 tons. Preserving and creating a healthy environment is so important that in 1986, creating health-supportive environments was the second important strategy for promoting community health. In examining environmentally supportive behaviors, models like the Norm Activation Model have received attention from researchers. This study aimed to investigate the mediating role of behavioral intention on the relationship of constructs of NAM with behavior. Methods and Materials: This cross-sectional study was conducted among 220 students in 2023 with random selection. A questionnaire included behavioral intention with three items: behavior of using plastic seven items, Awareness of consequences, Ascription of Responsibility, and Ethical belief with 10 questions for assessing the norm activation model. A structural equation modeling (SEM) approach was utilized to evaluate the proposed model. All analyses were conducted using SPSS v18 and AMOS v18 software. The indirect effects were tested using the bootstrap procedure in the SPSS Macro program for mediation effect. Results: As a result of structural equation modeling, the proposed hypotheses of relationships were generally supported. The moderating role of intention was identified in the relationships between Awareness of consequences, Ascription of Responsibility, and Ethical belief with behavior. The coefficients of the regression model confirm the direct hypotheses of this research. The values of most fit indices indicate an acceptable fit of the proposed model with the data (df/X2 = 2.5; GFI = 0.9; AGFI = 0.92; CFI = 0.92; RMSEA = 0.04). Conclusion and Discussion: This study confirms the appropriateness of the NAM model and shows that this model has good predictive power in understanding consumers’ intention to use plastic bags.