Social Cognition and Socioecological Predictors of Home-Based Physical Activity Intentions, Planning, and Habits during the COVID-19 Pandemic
TL;DR: In this article, the availability of exercise equipment at home predicts behavioral decisions, namely, intention, planning, and habits with respect to participation in physical activity, using a socio-ecological framework.
Abstract: 'Shelter in place' and 'lockdown' orders implemented to minimize the spread of COVID-19 have reduced opportunities to be physically active. For many, the home environment emerged as the only viable option to participate in physical activity. Previous research suggests that availability of exercise equipment functions as a determinant of home-based physical activity participation among the general adult population. The purpose of this study was to use a socioecological framework to investigate how the availability of exercise equipment at home predicts behavioral decisions, namely, intention, planning, and habits with respect to participation in physical activity. Participants (n = 429) were adults recruited in U.S. states subject to lockdown orders during the pandemic who completed measures online. A structural equation model indicated that availability of cardiovascular and strength training equipment predicted physical activity planning. Social cognition constructs mediated the relationship between each type of exercise equipment and intentions. Autonomous motivation and perceived behavioral control were found to mediate the relationship between each type of exercise equipment and habit. The availability of large cardiovascular and strength training equipment demonstrated significant predictive effects with intention, planning, habit, and autonomous motivation. Facilitating these constructs for home-based physical activity interventions could be efficacious for promoting physical activity.
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TL;DR: Though most UK adults maintained or increased their engagement in physical activity during the COVID-19 pandemic, the majority did not meet recommended guidelines and the prevalence of PA is substantially lower than national surveys prior to the pandemic.
Abstract: Objectives This study examined the impact of the COVID-19 lockdown on the physical activity (PA) of UK adults and potential motivational determinants of such behaviour. Design and methods A survey was conducted with 1,521 UK adults recruited through Prolific.co in early June 2020. Along with demographic information, questions assessed current PA, changes in PA modalities (i.e., overall, around the home, for transport, in the workplace, in the local neighbourhood, at recreation/sport facilities) related to the lockdown, and beliefs about capabilities, opportunities, and motivations according to the COM-B model. A series of logistic regressions were constructed to examine associations between shifts in the PA modalities and the COM-B components. Results The majority of respondents (57%) had either maintained or increased their levels of PA during the COVID-19 lockdown. However, the proportion meeting PA guidelines (31%) was low and engagement in sedentary-related behaviour for both work and leisure increased substantially during the lockdown. The components of the COM-B model were associated with shifts in PA. In particular, physical opportunity (odds ratios ranging from 1.14 to 1.20) and reflective motivation (odds ratios ranging from 1.11 to 1.25) appeared to be the most consistent predictors of behaviour. Conclusions If UK adults believed they had the physical opportunity and were motivated, they were more likely to have maintained or increased their PA during the COVID-19 lockdown. However, the majority of adults are not meeting the UK guidelines on PA and the prevalence of PA is substantially lower than national surveys prior to the pandemic. Statement of contribution What is already known on this subject? The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly disrupted the daily routines of citizens globally. Engagement in physical activity appears to have declined as a result of the requirement to self-isolate and stay in place. The COM-B model of behaviour change is a useful framework for identifying the correlates and determinants of behaviour. What does this study add? Though most UK adults maintained or increased their engagement in physical activity during the COVID-19 pandemic, the majority did not meet recommended guidelines. Reflective processes and physical opportunity were the primary predictors of change in physical activity.
61 citations
TL;DR: This review highlights effective and feasible strategies that provide more equitable access to physical activity programs and spaces across the United States and helps address the unique barriers present in communities that have been economically and socially marginalized to achieve health equity in COVID-19 outcomes.
Abstract: Physical activity is one of the most efficacious pathways to promoting mental and physical health, preventing disease, and, most important during the COVID-19 pandemic, bolstering a stronger immune...
48 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors investigated the evolution of PA habits amidst the spring COVID-19 lockdown, a major context change, and examined the association of PA behaviours and autonomous motivation with this evolution.
Abstract: OBJECTIVE: Habits, defined as well-learned associations between cues and behaviours, are essential for health-related behaviours, including physical activity (PA) Despite the sensitivity of habits to context changes, little remains known about the influence of a context change on the interplay between PA habits and behaviours We investigated the evolution of PA habits amidst the spring COVID-19 lockdown, a major context change Moreover, we examined the association of PA behaviours and autonomous motivation with this evolution DESIGN: Three-wave observational longitudinal design METHODS: PA habits, behaviours, and autonomous motivation were collected through online surveys in 283 French and Swiss participants Variables were self-reported with reference to three time-points: before-, mid-, and end-lockdown RESULTS: Mixed effect modelling revealed a decrease in PA habits from before- to mid-lockdown, especially among individuals with strong before-lockdown habits Path analysis showed that before-lockdown PA habits were not associated with mid-lockdown PA behaviours (s = -02, p = 837), while mid-lockdown PA habits were positively related to end-lockdown PA behaviours (s = 23, p = 021) Autonomous motivation was directly associated with PA habits (ps 072) CONCLUSION: PA habits were altered, and their influence on PA behaviours was impeded during the COVID-19 lockdown Engagement in PA behaviours and autonomous motivation helped in counteracting PA habits disruption
37 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors used an online survey to assess the changes in, and associations between, mental health and movement behaviours in 255 UK university students from before the COVID-19 pandemic (October 2019) to 9 months following the UK's first confirmed case (October 2020).
Abstract: Initial studies indicated that student mental health was impaired during the early stages of the pandemic and that maintaining/improving physical activity gave some protection from mental illness. However, as the pandemic persists, these data may not reflect current circumstances and may have been confounded by exam stress. Methods: This study used an online survey to assess the changes in, and associations between, mental health and movement behaviours in 255 UK university students from before the COVID-19 pandemic (October 2019) to 9 months following the UK’s first confirmed case (October 2020). Changes in and associations between mental wellbeing, perceived stress, physical activity, and sedentary behaviour were assessed using a mixed model ANOVA; a multiple linear regression model determined the predictive value of variables associated with Δ mental wellbeing. Results: Mental wellbeing and physical activity decreased (45.2 to 42.3 (p < 0.001); 223 to 173 min/week (p < 0.001)), whereas perceived stress and time spent sedentary increased (19.8 to 22.8 (p < 0.001); 66.0 to 71.2 h/week (p = 0.036)). Δ perceived stress, Δ sedentary behaviour and university year accounted for 64.7%, 12.9%, and 10.1% of the variance in Δ mental wellbeing (p < 0.001; p = 0.006; p = 0.035). Conclusion: The COVID-19 pandemic is having a sustained negative impact on student mental health and movement behaviour.
36 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, a study was conducted to verify whether there were significant differences between the academic year of 2020 and the two preceding years in factors and symptoms and stress, and the results showed that stress factors from the teaching process had a predictive value for the learning process, emotions, and academic burnout, and being a man was a factor predicting negative emotion.
Abstract: The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic have required substantial adjustments in terms of university teaching-learning processes. The aim of this study was to verify whether there were significant differences between the academic year of 2020 and the two preceding years in factors and symptoms and stress. A total of 642 university students (ages 18-25 years) participated by filling out validated self-reports during the months from March to August 2020. Using an ex post facto design, SEM analyses and simple and multiple ANOVAs were performed. Structural results showed that stress factors from the teaching process had a predictive value for the learning process, emotions, and academic burnout, and being a man was a factor predicting negative emotion. In a similar way, inferential results revealed no significant effect of academic year but did show an effect of gender on stress experiences during the pandemic. Aside from certain specific aspects, there was no significant global effect of the year 2020 on factors and symptoms of stress. The results showed that studying in the year of the COVID-19 outbreak did not have a significant effect on stress triggered by the teaching process. From these results, we draw implications for specific guidance interventions with university teachers and students.
28 citations
References
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TL;DR: Ajzen, 1985, 1987, this article reviewed the theory of planned behavior and some unresolved issues and concluded that the theory is well supported by empirical evidence and that intention to perform behaviors of different kinds can be predicted with high accuracy from attitudes toward the behavior, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control; and these intentions, together with perceptions of behavioral control, account for considerable variance in actual behavior.
65,095 citations
TL;DR: In this article, it is shown that perceived behavioral control over performance of a behavior, though comprised of separable components that reflect beliefs about self-efficacy and about controllability, can nevertheless be considered a unitary latent variable in a hierarchical factor model.
Abstract: Conceptual and methodological ambiguities surrounding the concept of perceived behavioral control are clarified. It is shown that perceived control over performance of a behavior, though comprised of separable components that reflect beliefs about self-efficacy and about controllability, can nevertheless be considered a unitary latent variable in a hierarchical factor model. It is further argued that there is no necessary correspondence between self-efficacy and internal control factors, or between controllability and external control factors. Self-efficacy and controllability can reflect internal as well as external factors and the extent to which they reflect one or the other is an empirical question. Finally, a case is made that measures of perceived behavioral control need to incorporate self-efficacy as well as controllability items that are carefully selected to ensure high internal consistency.
Summary and Conclusions
Perceived control over performance of a behavior can account for consider- able variance in intentions and actions. However, ambiguities surrounding the concept of perceived behavioral control have tended to create uncertainties and to impede progress. The present article attempted to clarify conceptual ambiguities and resolve issues related to the operationalization of perceived behavioral control. Recent research has demonstrated that the overarching concept of perceived behavioral control, as commonly assessed, is comprised of two components: self-efficacy (dealing largely with the ease or difficulty of performing a behavior) and controllability (the extent to which performance is up to the actor). Contrary to a widely accepted view, it was argued that self-efficacy expectations do not necessarily correspond to beliefs about internal control factors, and that controllability expectations have no necessary basis in the perceived operation of external factors. Instead, it was suggested that self-efficacy and controllability may both reflect beliefs about the presence of internal as well as external factors. Rather than making a priori assumptions about the internal or external locus of self-efficacy and controllability, this issue is best treated as an empirical question.
Also of theoretical significance, the present article tried to dispel the notion that self-efficacy and controllability are incompatible with, or independent of, each other. Although factor analyses of perceived behavioral control items provide clear and consistent evidence for the distinction, there is sufficient commonality between self-efficacy and controllability to suggest a two-level hierarchical model. In this model, perceived behavioral control is the overarching, superordinate construct that is comprised of two lower-level components: self-efficacy and controllability. This view of the control component in the theory of planned behavior implies that measures of perceived behavioral control should contain items that assess self-efficacy as well as controllability. Depending on the purpose of the investigation, a decision can be made to aggregate over all items, treating perceived behavioral control as a unitary factor, or to distinguish between self-efficacy and controllability by entering separate indices into the prediction equation.
6,544 citations
TL;DR: Hu and Bentler as mentioned in this paper proposed a more rigorous approach to evaluating decision rules based on GOF indexes and, on this basis, proposed new and more stringent cutoff values for many indexes.
Abstract: Goodness-of-fit (GOF) indexes provide "rules of thumb"—recommended cutoff values for assessing fit in structural equation modeling. Hu and Bentler (1999) proposed a more rigorous approach to evaluating decision rules based on GOF indexes and, on this basis, proposed new and more stringent cutoff values for many indexes. This article discusses potential problems underlying the hypothesis-testing rationale of their research, which is more appropriate to testing statistical significance than evaluating GOF. Many of their misspecified models resulted in a fit that should have been deemed acceptable according to even their new, more demanding criteria. Hence, rejection of these acceptable-misspecified models should have constituted a Type 1 error (incorrect rejection of an "acceptable" model), leading to the seemingly paradoxical results whereby the probability of correctly rejecting misspecified models decreased substantially with increasing N. In contrast to the application of cutoff values to evaluate each ...
5,013 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors propose to delegate the control of goal-directed responses to anticipated situational cues, which elicit these responses automatically when actually encountered, and demonstrate that implementation intentions further the attainment of goals.
Abstract: When people encounter problems in translating their goals into action (e.g., failing to get started, becoming distracted, or falling into bad habits), they may strategically call on automatic processes in an attempt to secure goal attainment. This can be achieved by plans in the form of implementation intentions that link anticipated critical situations to goal-directed responses ("Whenever situation x arises, I will initiate the goal-directed response y!"). Implementation intentions delegate the control of goal-directed responses to anticipated situational cues, which (when actually encountered) elicit these responses automatically. A program of research demonstrates that implementation intentions further the attainment of goals, and it reveals the underlying processes.
4,631 citations
Book•
01 Jan 2004
TL;DR: The Handbook of Self-Determination Research as discussed by the authors summarizes the research programs of these social, personality, clinical, developmental, and applied psychologists who have a shared belief in the importance of self-determination for understanding basic motivational processes and for solving pressing real-world problems.
Abstract: Over the past twenty years, an increasing number of researchers from various universities have been investigating motivational issues underlying the self-regulation of behavior. Using either Self-Determination Theory or closely related theoretical perspectives, these researchers have performed laboratory experiments, as well as field studies in a variety of real-world settings, including education, work, parenting, health care, sport, and protection of the environment. In April 1999, thirty of these researchers convened at the University of Rochester to present their work, share ideas, and discuss future research directions. "The Handbook of Self-Determination Research" is an outgrowth of that important and fascinating conference. It summarizes the research programs of these social, personality, clinical, developmental, and applied psychologists who have a shared belief in the importance of self-determination for understanding basic motivational processes and for solving pressing real-world problems. Eighteen chapters, including an overview of self-determination theory, present the current state of the research in this scientifically rigorous, yet highly relevant, approach to studying motivational problems in various life domains. Researchers from eighteen universities in the United States, Canada, and Germany present concise and up-to-date accounts of their research programs concerned with the self-determination of human behavior. In these chapters, scholars also consider the relevance of the research on self-determination to other areas of inquiry such as coping, self-esteem, and interest. Edward L. Deci and Richard Ryan are professors of psychology in the University of Rochester's Department of Clinical and Social Sciences in Psychology.
4,594 citations