PSY-5301 V4: Foundations of Health Psychology NCU
Week 6 – Assignment: Prepare an Annotated Bibliography
Physical activity is strongly connected with health and well-being and beneficial for physical, cognitive, and psychological health. However, many adults do not engage in regular physical exercises and are generally inactive. Only one in five adults meets the CDC recommended guidelines of at least 150 min of aerobics and two days of muscle-strengthening activity per week (Forechi et al., 2018). Weight-loss programs that integrate physical exercise are more successful in promoting long-term weight loss in overweight/obese persons than programs that rely on dietary modification alone (Lachman et al., 2018). However, the amount of physical activity required to promote weight loss and maintain a healthy weight is often challenging to attain in overweight and obese persons.
Physical inactivity is a great concern, and poor adherence to exercise programs has frequently been reported. Many factors impede
physical activity in overweight/obese and normal-weight persons, such as self-efficacy, negative learning history with physical exercises, low motivational levels, and inadequate coping skills (Forechi et al., 2018). Besides, environmental factors such as limited access to physical activity facilities, time barriers, costs of physical training programs, and insufficient social and cultural support hinder engagement in physical activity. Making overweight/obese persons engage in physical activity and increasing adherence to exercise is a major challenge, hence the importance of identifying strategies that can help improve adherence to physical activity in children, adolescents, and adults (Lachman et al., 2018). This paper contains an annotated bibliography of three peer-reviewed journal articles that focus on strategies to increase adherence to physical activity.
Robinson, S. A., Bisson, A. N., Hughes, M. L., Ebert, J., & Lachman, M. E. (2018). Time for change: using implementation intentions to promote physical activity in a randomized pilot trial. Psychology & Health, 1–23. doi:10.1080/08870446.2018.1539487
The study by Robinson et al. (2018) assessed the impact of an implementation intention intervention to improve exercise self-efficacy, enhance confidence to exercise when dealing with time constraints, and increase physical activity in middle-aged adults. The authors acknowledge that the perceived lack of time is a common barrier to engaging in the recommended amount of physical exercise. In line with the social-cognitive model of physical activity, self-efficacy beliefs are crucial to consider with regard to exercise since it is a major determinant of regular, health-promoting levels of physical activity. The confidence that one can engage in physical activities, despite facing obstacles and constraints such as fatigue and busy schedules is linked with a greater possibility of attaining the activity goal. The study participants were given a pedometer to quantify activity and were randomly assigned to a control or intervention condition.
The study’s primary outcome measures were physical activity (steps and amount of time spent in moderate-to-vigorous activity), goal attainment, exercise self-efficacy, time-relevant exercise self-efficacy, and affect. Participants in the intervention condition demonstrated considerably increased walking, time spent in moderate-to-vigorous activity, and time-relevant exercise self-efficacy. Besides, goal attainment was associated with greater time-relevant exercise self-efficacy and higher positive affect at the daily level. The implementation intention intervention can be applied to help overweight, obese, and normal-weight adults increase their confidence in their ability to engage in physical exercise under time constraints. Furthermore, the study establishes that exercises can be incorporated into individuals’ daily routines to improve scheduling efficacy.
Collado-Mateo, D., Lavín-Pérez, A. M., Peñacoba, C., Del Coso, J., Leyton-Román, M., Luque-Casado, A., Gasque, P., Fernández-Del-Olmo, M. Á., & Amado-Alonso, D. (2021). Key Factors Associated with Adherence to Physical Exercise in Patients with Chronic Diseases and Older Adults: An Umbrella Review. International journal of environmental research and public health, 18(4), 2023. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18042023
Collado-Mateo et al. (2021) systematically reviewed published reviews that studied the adherence to physical exercise in chronic patients and older adults. The study also aimed at identifying the key factors related to compliance. The article explains that some studies have proposed the need for a parallel psychological intervention, alongside the exercise program, to promote behavior change. Other studies have suggested the benefits of increasing individuals’ motivation towards exercise by focusing more on the three basic psychological needs: autonomy, competence, and relatedness. Furthermore, previous studies have attempted to improve adherence to physical exercise programs by incorporating the use of technological gadgets and by suggesting alternative forms of exercise. Besides, some authors have suggested paying individuals for engaging in physical activity, as some insurance companies have begun to do, knowing that clients will be healthier if they are physically active and their incomes will increase.
The study identified various key factors that increased adherence to physical exercise. One of the factors is the design of the exercise program. Individualization of the program in terms of intensity, type, frequency, duration, and needs and interests is necessary for the successful promotion of adherence. The inclusion of counseling by a multidisciplinary team comprising psychologists, physiotherapists, physicians, nutritionists, and nurses is perceived as positive to support adherence. Technology was identified as useful in helping individuals monitor their physical activity and making reminders. In addition, the study established the importance of conducting an initial exploration of a person’s characteristics and potential barriers and facilitators and addressing them beforehand to increase the chances of adherence.
Furthermore, individuals should be provided with adequate information about exercise’s benefits and potential risks. People informed on the impact of exercise are highly likely to adhere to exercise programs. Other key factors identified in the study as important in increasing adherence to physical activity include supervision during exercise sessions, integration in daily living, enjoyment and absence of unpleasant experiences, social support, availability of progress information and monitoring, self-efficacy and competence, and goal setting. Therefore, these factors must be considered when designing exercise programs for individuals to increase their adherence.
Denford, S., Mackintosh, K. A., McNarry, M. A., Barker, A. R., Williams, C. A., & Youth Activity Unlimited – A Strategic Research Centre of the UK Cystic Fibrosis Trust. (2019). Enhancing intrinsic motivation for physical activity among adolescents with cystic fibrosis: a qualitative study of the views of healthcare professionals. BMJ Open, 9(6), e028996. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2019-028996
The study sought to examine the perceptions of healthcare providers from cystic fibrosis (CF) multidisciplinary teams on physical activity for adolescents with CF, the particular interventions used to promote physical activity, and the associated challenges. The authors conducted comprehensive qualitative interviews with 15 healthcare providers from CF multidisciplinary teams to identify their perceptions about promoting physical activity among adolescents with CF. Although the healthcare providers stressed the significance of physical activity in managing CF, they stated that only a few patients were motivated only by CF or the health impact. The providers highlighted the need for designing a physical activity to be pleasurable and part of patients’ daily routine. In addition, they identified the need for adolescents to engage in physical activity with their significant others.
The CF health providers had adopted strategies to promote physical activity that focused on offering personalized recommendations that align with a patient’s individual health needs and goals and improve internal motivation for physical activity. The healthcare providers insisted that physical exercise should be an enjoyable activity that individuals can enjoy with friends and family rather than just an additional treatment. Furthermore, the providers stated that they provided individuals with opportunities and options to try various exercises to identify one that a person connects with. Therefore, health providers designing exercise programs for adolescents and the general population should focus on creating personalized interventions that aim to increase motivation and support the incorporation of physical activity in individuals’ daily lives.
Conclusion
High levels of physical activity have the advantage of maintaining energy balance at a healthy weight. The benefit of physical activity in weight loss intervention programs has been documented in the above articles. The studies establish the importance of having individualized recommendations to increase enjoyment in exercises. They also recommend incorporating physical activity into individuals’ daily routines to improve adherence to physical activity. Besides, the studies establish that goal setting is crucial in sustaining motivation towards physical activity.
References
Collado-Mateo, D., Lavín-Pérez, A. M., Peñacoba, C., Del Coso, J., Leyton-Román, M., Luque-Casado, A., Gasque, P., Fernández-Del-Olmo, M. Á., & Amado-Alonso, D. (2021). Key Factors Associated with Adherence to Physical Exercise in Patients with Chronic Diseases and Older Adults: An Umbrella Review. International journal of environmental research and public health, 18(4), 2023. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18042023
Denford, S., Mackintosh, K. A., McNarry, M. A., Barker, A. R., Williams, C. A., & Youth Activity Unlimited – A Strategic Research Centre of the UK Cystic Fibrosis Trust (2019). Enhancing intrinsic motivation for physical activity among adolescents with cystic fibrosis: a qualitative study of the views of healthcare professionals. BMJ Open, 9(6), e028996. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2019-028996
Forechi, L., Mill, J. G., Griep, R. H., Santos, I., Pitanga, F., & Molina, M. D. C. B. (2018). Adherence to physical activity in adults with chronic diseases: ELSA-Brasil. Revista de saude publica, 52, 31. https://doi.org/10.11606/S1518-8787.2018052000215
Lachman, M. E., Lipsitz, L., Lubben, J., Castaneda-Sceppa, C., & Jette, A. M. (2018). When adults don’t exercise: Behavioral strategies to increase physical activity in sedentary middle-aged and older adults. Innovation in Aging, 2(1), igy007. https://doi.org/10.1093/geroni/igy007
Robinson, S. A., Bisson, A. N., Hughes, M. L., Ebert, J., & Lachman, M. E. (2018). Time for change: using implementation intentions to promote physical activity in a randomized pilot trial. Psychology & Health, 1–23. https://doi.org/10.1080/08870446.2018.1539487