Associations between self-efficacy and sedentary behaviour: a meta-analysis

The pleasure of moving: A compositional data analysis of the association between replacing sedentary time with physical activity on affective valence in daily life

Although the independent within-person association between physical activity and sedentary behaviour with valence in daily life has been extensively studied, few studies have used compositional data analysis to examine how different movement behaviour compositions are related to valence in daily life. This study aimed to examine the within-person association between wake-time movement behaviour compositions with affective valence and the extent to which replacing time spent sedentary with physical activity was associated with valence within individuals in daily life. A 7-day ecological momentary study design was used whereby 94 Canadian university students (Mage = 19.45, SD = 2.21, 78.7 % female) reported on affective valence using an adapted version of the Feeling Scale at 7 randomly timed prompts each day. In addition, activPAL accelerometers were worn continuously by participants on their right thigh for the duration of the study to determine time spent engaging in sedentary behaviours and physical activity. Compositional data analysis with isotemporal substitution models were used to examine the within-person association between movement behaviour compositions and affective valence. The within-person association between movement behaviours and affective valence was weak (r2 = 0.013). Nevertheless, engaging in less sedentary time than usual and instead engaging in physical activity was significantly related to more positive affective valence. Considering light intensity physical activity (LPA) and moderate-to-vigorous intensity physical activity (MVPA) separately, replacing time spent sedentary with time engaged in MVPA and LPA both had a significant positive association on affective valence, although the association with MVPA was stronger than the association with LPA. The results provide unique insights into how replacing sedentary time with physical activity in daily life, especially MVPA, may be associated with more feelings of pleasure. These results may be useful to help inform the development of just-in-time adaptive interventions.

Analysis of behavioral change techniques used in exercise and nutritional interventions targeting adults around retirement age with sarcopenic obesity in a systematic review

BACKGROUND

Sarcopenic obesity significantly burdens health and autonomy. Strategies to intervene in or prevent sarcopenic obesity generally focus on losing body fat and building or maintaining muscle mass and function. For a lifestyle intervention, it is important to consider psychological aspects such as behavioral change techniques (BCTs) to elicit a long-lasting behavioral change.

PURPOSE

The study was carried out to analyze BCTs used in exercise and nutritional interventions targeting community-dwelling adults around retirement age with sarcopenic obesity.

METHODS

We conducted an analysis of articles cited in an existing systematic review on the effectiveness of exercise and nutritional interventions on physiological outcomes in community-dwelling adults around retirement age with sarcopenic obesity. We identified BCTs used in these studies by applying a standardized taxonomy.

RESULTS

Only nine BCTs were identified. Most BCTs were not used intentionally (82 %), and those used derived from the implementation of lifestyle components, such as exercise classes ("instructions on how to perform a behavior," "demonstration of the behavior," "behavioral practice/rehearsal," and "body changes"). Only two studies used BCTs intentionally to reinforce adherence in their interventions.

CONCLUSIONS

Few studies integrated BCTs in lifestyle interventions for community-dwelling persons around retirement age with sarcopenic obesity. Future studies on interventions to counteract sarcopenic obesity should include well-established BCTs to foster adherence and, therefore, their effectiveness.

DE-PASS best evidence statement (BESt): determinants of adolescents' device-based physical activity and sedentary behaviour in settings: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Although physical activity (PA) is associated with significant health benefits, only a small percentage of adolescents meet recommended PA levels. This systematic review with meta-analysis explored the modifiable determinants of adolescents' device-based PA and/or sedentary behaviour (SB), evaluated in previous interventions and examined the associations between PA/SB and these determinants in settings.

METHODS

A search was conducted on five electronic databases, including papers published from January 2010 to July 2023. Randomized Controlled Trials (RCTs) or Controlled Trials (CTs) measuring adolescents' device-based PA/SB and their modifiable determinants at least at two time points: pre- and post-intervention were considered eligible. PA/SB and determinants were the main outcomes. Modifiable determinants were classified after data extraction adopting the social-ecological perspective. Robust Bayesian meta-analyses (RoBMA) were performed per each study setting. Outcomes identified in only one study were presented narratively. The risk of bias for each study and the certainty of the evidence for each meta-analysis were evaluated. The publication bias was also checked.

PROSPERO ID

CRD42021282874.

RESULTS

Fourteen RCTs (eight in school, three in school and family, and one in the family setting) and one CT (in the school setting) were included. Fifty-four modifiable determinants were identified and were combined into 33 broader determinants (21 individual-psychological, four individual-behavioural, seven interpersonal, and one institutional). RoBMAs revealed none or negligible pooled intervention effects on PA/SB or determinants in all settings. The certainty of the evidence of the impact of interventions on outcomes ranged from very low to low. Narratively, intervention effects in favour of the experimental group were detected in school setting for the determinants: knowledge of the environment for practicing PA, d = 1.84, 95%CI (1.48, 2.20), behaviour change techniques, d = 0.90, 95%CI (0.09, 1.70), choice provided, d = 0.70, 95%CI (0.36, 1.03), but no corresponding effects on PA or SB were found.

CONCLUSIONS

Weak to minimal evidence regarding the associations between the identified modifiable determinants and adolescents' device-based PA/SB in settings were found, probably due to intervention ineffectiveness. Well-designed and well-implemented multicomponent interventions should further explore the variety of modifiable determinants of adolescents' PA/SB, including policy and environmental variables.

The Big-Five personality factors, cognitive ability, health, and social-demographic indicators as independent predictors of self-efficacy: A longitudinal study

This study set out to examine to what extent a set of psychological, health and socio-demographic factors are associated with self-efficacy (SE) in a large sample of over 12,000 participants over a two-year period. We were interested in the correlates of self-efficacy (criterion variable) with gender, age, education and occupation, the Big-Five personality factors and cognitive ability, as well as mental and physical health (predictor variables). Regression analyses showed that four of the Big-Five personality factors (extraversion, neuroticism, conscientiousness, and openness), cognitive ability, mental and physical health, gender, education and occupation were all significant and independent predictors of self-efficacy, accounting for 23% of the variance of the outcome variable. Personality variables, particularly Neuroticism and Conscientiousness, were the most powerful predictors of SE two years later. The implications for encouraging SE in individuals are discussed.

Relationship between physical activity and coping with stress in people with multiple sclerosis: A moderated mediation model with self-efficacy and disability level as variables

Purpose

An increasing number of studies support the beneficial relationship between physical activity and stress coping in people with multiple sclerosis (MS). However, there has been limited understanding of the variables that may influence the nature of this relationship. Therefore, based on the social-cognitive framework and previous research, we aimed to examine the association between the habitual physical activity of people with MS and their coping effectiveness. Furthermore, we sought to determine the extent to which self-efficacy acts as a mediator in this relationship, considering the level of disability as a moderator variable.

Methods

In this cross-sectional study, a total of 351 people with MS participated. The participants were asked to complete several assessment tools, including the Mini-COPE Inventory for Measurement-Coping with Stress, the Generalized Self-Efficacy Scale, and the Godin Leisure-Time Exercise Questionnaire. Additionally, a neurologist assessed the severity of the disease using the Expanded Disability Status Scale. Information on the demographic and clinical characteristics of the participants was collected via a self-report survey. Two moderated mediation analyses were conducted as part of the study.

Results

The study findings indicated a positive correlation between engagement in physical activity and self-efficacy among participants with high and medium disability levels. This, in turn, demonstrated a positive association with effective stress-coping strategies and a negative association with ineffective coping methods. In particular, a significant relationship was observed between involvement in physical activity and self-efficacy in participants with high disability, while it was not statistically significant in participants with low disability.

Conclusion

Physical activity was associated with improved psychosocial functioning in people with high levels of disability caused by MS. This association may be attributed to factors such as increased self-efficacy and improved stress coping. However, the relationship between physical activity and psychosocial functioning was less evident in people with low disability caused by MS.

Automatic processes moderate the association between reflective processes and movement behavior: A cross-sectional study

Dual-process theories postulate that both reflective and automatic processes regulate health behavior. Further research is required to test the basic postulates of dual-process theories. We investigated the direct associations and moderating effect between automatic processes and multiple indicators of reflective processes on various levels of physical activity and sedentary behavior assessed using accelerometry in adults who were not participating in regular physical exercise programs. This cross-sectional study included 257 adults. Each participant completed a computerized test for automatic associations, a set of questions assessing reflective processes, a seven-day assessment using accelerometers to determine their levels of physical activity and sedentary behavior. The results showed a direct relationship between perceived benefits (B = 15.90, p = 0.043), perceived cons (B = -12.81, p = 0.034), decisional intention (B = -0.07, p = 0.049) with light physical activity, and self-efficacy with daily steps (B = 485.71, p = 0.008). There was a positive association between intention strength and daily steps when implicit associations favored physical activity (b = 623.36, LLCI = 79.09, ULCI = 1167.62, p = 0.025); a negative association between self-efficacy and sedentary behavior when implicit associations favored sedentary behavior (b = -25.73, LLCI = -49.77, ULCI = -1.70, p = 0.035); and a positive association between intention strength and sedentary behavior when implicit associations favored physical activity (b = 34.18, LLCI = 8.81, ULCI = 59.56, p = 0.008). These findings underscore the importance of considering the interplay between reflective and automatic processes in shaping movement behavior.

Dyadic reciprocal associations between self-efficacy and planning predict sedentary behaviour

OBJECTIVES

There are two alternative hypotheses regarding bidirectional associations between self-efficacy and planning in predicting health behaviour change: self-efficacy may establish planning (cultivation hypothesis) or planning may enable the formation of self-efficacy (enabling hypothesis). This study investigates the order in which these two social cognitions are linked in adult-adult dyads in the context of sedentary behaviours (SB).

DESIGN

A longitudinal study with 4 measurement points, spanning 8 months.

METHODS

A total of 320 dyads (age: 18-90 years) were enrolled. Dyads included a focus person (who received the recommendation to reduce SB and intended to change their SB), and their partners, who were willing to support the focus persons and intended to reduce their own SB as well. Data were collected at Time 1 (T1), Time 2 (1 week later, T2), Time 3 (T3, 2 months after T1) and Time 4 (T4, 8 months after T1). SB was measured with accelerometers at (T1 and T4). Mediation models with individual and dyadic reciprocal effects were tested with path analyses.

RESULTS

Only one indirect effect was found: A higher level of partners' SB reduction-specific self-efficacy at T2 was related to the focus person's more frequent planning to reduce SB at T3, which, in turn, predicted lower SB time among partners at T4.

CONCLUSIONS

The findings provide partial support for the cultivation model (self-efficacy prompting planning) and for dyadic reciprocal associations in the context of SB time reduction among adult dyads.

Within-Person Associations Between Physical and Social Contexts With Movement Behavior Compositions in Adolescents: An Ecological Momentary Assessment Study Using a Compositional Data Analysis Approach

BACKGROUND

External contexts, including the social and physical contexts, are independent predictors of momentary physical activity and sedentary behaviors. However, no studies to date have examined how external contexts are related to overall momentary movement behavior compositions using compositional data analysis. Therefore, this study aimed to determine differences in momentary movement behavior compositions between different social and physical contexts in adolescents.

METHODS

Overall, 119 adolescents (mean age 14.7 y, SD = 1.44) provided details about their momentary physical and social contexts over 4 days using ecological momentary assessment. Sedentary behaviors, light-intensity physical activity, and moderate to vigorous physical activity were assessed using ActiGraph GT3X+ accelerometers. Compositional multivariate multilevel models were estimated to determine if movement behavior compositions differed between contexts.

RESULTS

Participants engaged in significantly less sedentary behaviors when outdoors compared with indoors and replaced it with moderate to vigorous physical activity. Participants also engaged in significantly less sedentary behaviors when with friends or friends and family and replaced it with light-intensity physical activity.

CONCLUSION

These results highlight the potential of targeting external contexts to increase physical activity and to reduce sedentary behavior in adolescents' daily lives. These factors could be targeted in mobile health and just-in-time adaptive interventions to improve young people's movement behavior compositions.

Examining what Mental Toughness, Ego Resiliency, Self-efficacy, and Grit measure: An exploratory structural equation modelling bifactor approach

Despite conceptual similarities among the established non-cognitive constructs of Mental Toughness, Ego Resiliency, Self-efficacy, and Grit, preceding research typically considered these as adversary rather than complementary and potentially additive. Subsequently, comparatively few studies have examined these together. This paper, via two independent studies, examined commonality within Mental Toughness, Ego Resiliency, Self-efficacy, and Grit. This identified key elements that contribute to a broad, non-cognitive, resource-based construct. Study 1 (N = 2137) assessed shared variance among the non-cognitive constructs relative to a general factor. Study 2 (N = 1148) evaluated the replicability of the results from Study 1 and examined measurement invariance. Respondents completed established self-report measures indexing the study variables. Exploratory structural equation modelling bifactor analyses consistently revealed that Mental Toughness, the Ego-Resiliency Optimal Regulation subscale, and Self-efficacy loaded highly on a general factor, which the authors labelled as Non-Cognitive Adaptive Resourcefulness (NCAR). Invariance analyses supported the stability of this model across study context. This paper advanced conceptual understanding of the core shared features of independent non-cognitive constructs. The authors discuss the potential of NCAR and advocate the need for further research.

Resting state functional connectivity provides mechanistic predictions of future changes in sedentary behavior

Sedentary behaviors are increasing at the cost of millions of dollars spent in health care and productivity losses due to physical inactivity-related deaths worldwide. Understanding the mechanistic predictors of sedentary behaviors will improve future intervention development and precision medicine approaches. It has been posited that humans have an innate attraction towards effort minimization and that inhibitory control is required to overcome this prepotent disposition. Consequently, we hypothesized that individual differences in the functional connectivity of brain regions implicated in inhibitory control and physical effort decision making at the beginning of an exercise intervention in older adults would predict the change in time spent sedentary over the course of that intervention. In 143 healthy, low-active older adults participating in a 6-month aerobic exercise intervention (with three conditions: walking, dance, stretching), we aimed to use baseline neuroimaging (resting state functional connectivity of two a priori defined seed regions), and baseline accelerometer measures of time spent sedentary to predict future pre-post changes in objectively measured time spent sedentary in daily life over the 6-month intervention. Our results demonstrated that functional connectivity between (1) the anterior cingulate cortex and the supplementary motor area and (2) the right anterior insula and the left temporoparietal/temporooccipital junction, predicted changes in time spent sedentary in the walking group. Functional connectivity of these brain regions did not predict changes in time spent sedentary in the dance nor stretch and tone conditions, but baseline time spent sedentary was predictive in these conditions. Our results add important knowledge toward understanding mechanistic associations underlying complex out-of-session sedentary behaviors within a walking intervention setting in older adults.

Level and factors associated with physical activity among university teacher: an exploratory analysis

Background

Physical inactivity is one of the primary factors that leads to obesity and overweight. What is more, it is becoming an increasingly common problem among the population of those who work. The causes of obesity and the lack of physical activity are multifactorial. The aims of the study were: to (1) measure the level of physical activity among the university staff, (2) evaluate what factors have a significant influence on undertaking the physical activity and lack of.

Methods

A cross-sectional study was conducted via the Internet questionnaires among university staff in Northern Poland and Pomeranian Region. Taking into consideration the climate and cultural factors in Poland, a physical activity test with the usage of IPAQ scale was performed between September and November 2018 and between March and June 2019. The data was collected on the basis of the standardized long form of the IPQA questionnaire, the GSE Scale and the interview questionnaire including questions about sex, age and health assessment.

Results

The study group consisted of 276 respondents, including 143 women (51.8%) and 133 men (48.2%). The average age of the respondents was 42.22 with SD ± 11.01. The weight status was categorized with the use of BMI index. 51.3% (142) of the respondents had normal body mass, 93 (33.8%) were overweight, while 23 (8.4%) were obese. The mean BMI index was 25.23 points (SD ± 4.04). One hundred and twenty five (45.1%) respondents were the employees of the Medical University, and 54.9% were employed by the Technical University. Detailed analyses using Spearman correlation test confirmed the presence of a statistically higher level of physical activity among respondents employed at the Medical University (M 513.37; SD ± 609.13) than the employees of Technical University (M 378.38; SD ± 328.26). The odds ratio analysis shows that a low level of physical activity in the group of technical university staff has a significant correlation with the other social behavior which is the alcohol consumption.

Conclusion

This study confirms that the number of points obtained in the IPAQ scale, classified the academics in the workgroup presenting low physical activity which does not exceed 600 MET-min/week. The most common form of activity in this group was walking. There was no correlation between physical activity and self-efficacy, age, marital status or the number of children.

The neglected contributions of self-efficacy to older adults’ financial capacity

Purpose

An ageing population comes with its own set of challenges such as impaired financial capacity and resultant dependency on others to manage financial affairs. Dependency, in turn, as the evidence suggests, creates opportunities for financial exploitation of older adults. Related studies have primarily examined the clinical features and correlates of financial capacity or have attempted to develop its multidimensional measures. Both of which do little to resolve issues associated with impaired financial capacity. This paper aims to make a case for future researchers to assess older adults’ financial capacity from a non-clinical aspect.

Design/methodology/approach

Drawing on the notion of self-efficacy, as encapsulated within the social cognitive theory, this paper presents evidence from a host of different domains to demonstrate the potential contributions of self-efficacy to older adults’ financial capacity.

Findings

The contributions of self-efficacy in preserving older adults’ financial capacity appear to be much more profound than is currently acknowledged in the literature, thereby overlooking potentially promising and cost-effective interventions for autonomous ageing.

Originality/value

This paper presents a novel application of self-efficacy to autonomous ageing. Within this context, potential routes to the deployment of self-efficacy-based interventions are also discussed.