Marketing & consumer behavior
Health consciousness scale: what it is and how to measure
- Concept
- Health Consciousness
- Field
- Marketing & consumer behavior
- Scales in the library
- 1
- Items
- 9
Health consciousness is the degree to which a person pays attention to, thinks about and monitors their own health. Gould (1990) built the 9-item HCS to measure a single construct. In Vietnam, health consciousness is often an antecedent in studies of intention to buy organic food, functional food, low-sugar drinks or use health-tracking apps, usually combined with the theory of planned behavior.
Comparing the scales
| Scale | Author (year) | Items | Response format | When to use it |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Health Consciousness (HC) Health Consciousness Scale | Gould (1990) | 9 | 5-point | 9 items, unidimensional, measures how much each statement reflects the respondent, from 1 to 5. |
Items of each scale
Original English wording from the published source. Replace placeholders such as [system] or
[brand] with what your study is about, and pilot the questionnaire with 20 to 30 respondents first.
Health Consciousness (HC) · Health Consciousness Scale
| Code | Item |
|---|---|
| HC1 | I reflect about my health a lot. |
| HC2 | I am very self-conscious about my health. |
| HC3 | I am generally attentive to my inner feeling about my health. |
| HC4 | I am constantly examining my health. |
| HC5 | I am alert to changes in my health. |
| HC6 | I am usually aware of my health. |
| HC7 | I am aware of the state of my health as I go through the day. |
| HC8 | I notice how I feel physically as I go through the day. |
| HC9 | I am very involved with my health. |
Source: Gould (1990). Response scale, licence and APA reference: Health Consciousness Scale.
Tips
- Have health consciousness affect attitude or purchase intention; avoid linking it to every variable at once.
- The scale measures how much items reflect the respondent (1 to 5), not agreement; keep the labels exactly when translating.
- With 9 unidimensional items, you can shorten the scale if EFA shows low-loading items, but keep the content coverage.
- Suitable for consumers in general, not only students.
Once you have a scale, put the concept in the research model drawer to state your hypotheses, work out the minimum sample size, and after data collection check reliability with the Cronbach's alpha calculator.
Frequently asked questions
Which variables does health consciousness usually affect?
Most often attitude and intention to buy organic food, functional food or health-benefit products.
How many items does the HCS have?
9 items, measuring a single construct (unidimensional).
How does health consciousness differ from environmental concern?
Health consciousness is self-directed; environmental concern is directed outward to the community and nature. Green food studies often measure both as two different motives.
References
- Gould, S. J. (1990). Health consciousness and health behavior: The application of a new health consciousness scale. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 6(4), 228–237. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0749-3797(18)31009-2