Key beliefs related to decisions for physical activity engagement among first-in-family students transitioning to university

Identification and evaluation of beliefs about sport participation among South Korean university students

Objective: To identify and evaluate salient beliefs about sport participation among South Korean university students. Participants: Total 234 undergraduate students were recruited in the main study from one university located in Seoul, South Korea. Methods: An elicitation study was conducted to identify salient beliefs about sport participation. Structural equation modeling was used to examine the effects of the elicited salient beliefs on intention to participate in sports and sport participation behavior. Results: Four of ten salient beliefs identified from the elicitation study (i.e., "builds social relationship," "makes me tired," "takes too much time," and "friends") indirectly affected sport participation behavior through intention. Conclusion: The four salient beliefs may play a critical role in developing effective interventions or policies for promoting sport participation.

A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of the Outcome Expectancy Construct in Physical Activity Research

BACKGROUND

Cognition-based theories dominate physical activity (PA) research, and many include a construct broadly defined as "beliefs about the consequences of behavior" (e.g., outcome expectancies, perceived benefits) hereafter referred to as perceived consequences.

PURPOSE

With the quantity of available research on this topic, it is important to examine whether the literature supports perceived consequences as a predictor of PA.

METHODS

A meta-analysis examining longitudinal associations between perceived consequences and PA in adults was conducted. Studies were eligible if (a) perceived consequences were measured at a time point prior to PA, and (b) the target behavior was a form of PA. An omnibus meta-analysis estimating the mean effect of all included studies, and separate meta-analyses for perceived consequences content categories were conducted.

RESULTS

This search yielded 6,979 articles, of these, 110 studies met inclusion criteria. Studies were published between 1989 and 2020, with sample sizes ranging from 16 to 2,824. All studies were evaluated as moderate to high quality. A small positive bivariate association was identified (r = 0.11; 95% CI [0.09, 0.13]) between perceived consequences and PA. Significant associations were identified for time, health, self-evaluative, psychological, and affective consequences. There was no association between perceived weight-related consequences and PA.

CONCLUSIONS

The findings emphasize the variability with which existing studies have examined perceived consequences in the PA literature. Future research might examine whether these are important distinctions for understanding PA. Overall, the results suggest utility in examining perceived consequences as a predictor of PA, but constructs with more robust associations may require priority.

Predicting Voluntary Exercise Training among Korean Firefighters: Using Elicitation Study and the Theory of Planned Behavior

Background: Firefighters are required to have high levels of aerobic and anaerobic power because they often perform physically demanding work in dangerous environments. Therefore, it is important to find out salient factors influencing voluntary exercise training among Korean firefighters based on well-validated theory. Methods: The present study conducted an elicitation study to elicit salient behavioral, normative, and control beliefs about exercise training among Korean firefighters and identified salient beliefs that have a significant indirect effect on behavior through intention using structural equation modeling. Results: Although ten modal salient beliefs obtained from our elicitation study are similar to those elicited from previous TPB belief-based research with a focus on exercise behavior, only three of these (i.e., “improves my physical ability” (coef. = 0.078, p = 0.006), “takes too much time” (coef. = 0.064, p = 0.023), and “colleagues” (coef. = 0.069, p = 0.016) indirectly influenced exercise training behavior through intention among Korean firefighters. Conclusions: Our results may contribute to the literature by providing important information suggesting that three modal salient beliefs are major cognitive determinants of exercise training behavior among Korean firefighters and they may play an essential role in developing effective programs or policies for promoting Korean firefighters’ exercise training.

Behaviour change techniques to facilitate physical activity in older adults: what and how

Physical inactivity in older adults presents a significant problem within modern societies globally. Using a mixed-method approach, this study explored strategies for the development and delivery of physical activity (PA) interventions by investigating what behaviour change techniques (BCTs) are useful, and how these techniques should be implemented to be feasible for older adults. Sixty-six older adults completed a survey indicating the most useful BCTs, mapping on to motivational, volitional and automatic factors. Of these, 48 older adults participated in an interview exploring strategies for a PA intervention targeted at older adults. The most useful BCT identified in the survey was autonomy support (61.3%), followed by instruction to perform the behaviour (43.5%) and having a credible source of information about PA (42.6%). The key themes discussed in the interviews included providing support in making an informed choice, instruction on how to perform PA, information about health consequences, social support, goal setting, action and coping plans, behavioural demonstration and practice, and monitoring PA. The interviews also revealed key aspects of programme implementation including face-to-face delivery, followed up with additional materials; low cost; age-appropriate PA level; and individualised approach. Interventions assisting older adults in increasing their PA participation across a range of settings should incorporate BCTs targeting multiple processes, while tailoring their delivery to older adults’ preferences to ensure their feasibility in supporting regular PA engagement.

Assessment of Salient Beliefs Affecting Mothers' Intention to Adherence to Dietary Diversity in their Children's Complementary Feeding

BACKGROUND

Providing a variety of foods has been emphasized as one of the most important features of optimal complementary feeding. This study investigated key beliefs that guide mothers' intention to adherence to dietary diversity in their 1-2-year-old children's complementary feeding.

METHODS

This was a cross-sectional study involving 290 mothers (mean age = 27, standard deviation = 5.32) with child 1-2-year-old attending maternal and child health section of health centers in Rasht, Iran. To represent the socioeconomic status of the participants, 6 centers out of 15 were selected from three different socioeconomic areas (low-, middle-, and high-income areas). Mothers completed a questionnaire assessing intention and belief-based items of theory of planned behavior. Correlations and multiple regression analyses were performed.

RESULTS

The mean age of mothers was 27 ± 5.33 (27-43 years). Regression analyses revealed that among behavioral beliefs, the perception that adherence to dietary diversity would lead to improve children's growth was the significant predictor of intention (β = 0.13, P = 0.04). Regarding normative beliefs, perceived social pressure from health-care professionals to adherence to dietary diversity significantly predicted intention (β = 0.15, P = 0.01). Among control beliefs, the perception that daily pressures made difficult adherence to dietary diversity was the key determinant (β = 0.19, P = 0.01).

CONCLUSIONS

Findings of this study represent the important beliefs that can be addressed in development planning aimed at modifying mothers' child complementary feeding practices.

Use of online health information to manage children's health care: a prospective study investigating parental decisions

BACKGROUND

The use of the internet to access information is rapidly increasing; however, the quality of health information provided on various online sites is questionable. We aimed to examine the underlying factors that guide parents' decisions to use online information to manage their child's health care, a behaviour which has not yet been explored systematically.

METHODS

Parents (N = 391) completed a questionnaire assessing the standard theory of planned behaviour (TPB) measures of attitude, subjective norm, perceived behavioural control (PBC), and intention as well as the underlying TPB belief-based items (i.e., behavioural, normative, and control beliefs) in addition to a measure of perceived risk and demographic variables. Two months later, consenting parents completed a follow-up telephone questionnaire which assessed the decisions they had made regarding their use of online information to manage their child's health care during the previous 2 months.

RESULTS

We found support for the TPB constructs of attitude, subjective norm, and PBC as well as the additional construct of perceived risk in predicting parents' intentions to use online information to manage their child's health care, with further support found for intentions, but not PBC, in predicting parents' behaviour. The results of the TPB belief-based analyses also revealed important information about the critical beliefs that guide parents' decisions to engage in this child health management behaviour.

CONCLUSIONS

This theory-based investigation to understand parents' motivations and online information-seeking behaviour is key to developing recommendations and policies to guide more appropriate help-seeking actions among parents.

Use of online health information to manage children's health care: a prospective study investigating parental decisions

BACKGROUND

The use of the internet to access information is rapidly increasing; however, the quality of health information provided on various online sites is questionable. We aimed to examine the underlying factors that guide parents' decisions to use online information to manage their child's health care, a behaviour which has not yet been explored systematically.

METHODS

Parents (N = 391) completed a questionnaire assessing the standard theory of planned behaviour (TPB) measures of attitude, subjective norm, perceived behavioural control (PBC), and intention as well as the underlying TPB belief-based items (i.e., behavioural, normative, and control beliefs) in addition to a measure of perceived risk and demographic variables. Two months later, consenting parents completed a follow-up telephone questionnaire which assessed the decisions they had made regarding their use of online information to manage their child's health care during the previous 2 months.

RESULTS

We found support for the TPB constructs of attitude, subjective norm, and PBC as well as the additional construct of perceived risk in predicting parents' intentions to use online information to manage their child's health care, with further support found for intentions, but not PBC, in predicting parents' behaviour. The results of the TPB belief-based analyses also revealed important information about the critical beliefs that guide parents' decisions to engage in this child health management behaviour.

CONCLUSIONS

This theory-based investigation to understand parents' motivations and online information-seeking behaviour is key to developing recommendations and policies to guide more appropriate help-seeking actions among parents.