Procrastination and intentions to perform health behaviors: The role of self-efficacy and the consideration of future consequences

The present study sought to extend previous research suggesting a relationship between trait procrastination and health behaviors by examining the behavioral intentions of procrastinators. Two cognitive variables (self-efficacy and the consideration of future consequences) were proposed to mediate the procrastination-intentions relationship. Students (n=182) were administered personality and health-related questionnaires and then asked to recall a past illness episode along with health behaviors that may have improved or prevented this experience. Intentions to actually perform one of the listed behaviors in the near future were then rated. A negative relation between trait procrastination and intentions to engage in health behaviors was found. Further, the weak intentions of procrastinators were mediated by a lower health-specific self-efficacy. The consideration of future consequences did not play a role in the procrastination-intentions relationship although it was moderately and negatively related to trait procrastination. These findings were consistent with the role of self-efficacy in intentions as theoretically proposed, and with previous work suggesting that procrastination is associated with low perceived behavioral control. © 2003 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.