Abstract
<title>Abstract</title> <p> Background Unhealthy dietary practices among young(er) individuals are a growing public health concern in the Arab region; however, the factors shaping these behaviors remain underexplored. As such, this study investigated how behavioral capability and self-efficacy influence dietary actions among Arab youth within a social cognitive theory framework. Methods This cross-sectional study included Arab males and females, 15–25 years of age, using a previously validated Arabic questionnaire. Non-Arabic speakers and individuals with reported health conditions were excluded. The questionnaire assessed sociodemographic characteristics, behavioral capabilities, self-efficacy, and dietary actions. Arab countries were categorized according to the World Bank Income Classification as follows: high, upper-middle, lower-middle, and low. Results Data from 2750 participants (62% female) were analyzed, distributed as follows: 43.2% from upper-middle, 23.1% from high-income, 19.7% from lower-middle, and 15% from low-income countries. The highest mean (± SD) behavioral capability scores were observed in high-income (7.23 ± 1.89) compared with low-income (5.80 ± 1.81) countries ( <italic>p</italic> < 0.001). Self-efficacy was the highest in upper-middle and lowest in lower-middle income countries. Dietary action scores were highest among participants from upper-middle income countries (13.23 ± 3.28), whereas lowest scores were observed in high-income countries (11.86 ± 3.43). A significant positive correlation was found between behavioral capability and self-efficacy and between self-efficacy and dietary actions ( <italic>p</italic> < 0.001). Age, sex, residence, and self-efficacy were significant predictors of dietary action ( <italic>p</italic> < 0.001). Conclusions Findings of the present study support the social cognitive theory framework, suggesting that knowledge and skills alone may not be sufficient to promote healthy dietary behaviors among Arab youth. This highlights the need for integrated interventions that strengthen nutritional knowledge and self-efficacy to support healthier dietary behaviors. </p>