. Emily C. L. Knox; . Stuart J. H. Biddle; . Ian M. Taylor; . Amy E. Latimer‑Cheung; . Oliver J. Webb; . Lauren B. Sherar
Volume 5, Issue 5 , December 2015, , Pages 1-7
Abstract
Introduction: Mass‑media campaigns such as, “Change4Life’ in the UK and “getactive America” in the US, promote physical activity (PA) recommendations of at ...
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Introduction: Mass‑media campaigns such as, “Change4Life’ in the UK and “getactive America” in the US, promote physical activity (PA) recommendations of at least150 min/week of moderate‑to‑vigorous PA (MVPA). We investigated whether differentmessages used in MVPA campaigns were associated with intention to engage in moreMVPA. Materials and Methods: Theory of planned behavior (TPB) constructs; subjectivenorms, affective attitudes, instrumental attitudes and perceived behavioral control (PBC)were applied to explain the associations between campaign messages and intentions toengage in more MVPA. Results: A total of 1412 UK adults completed an online survey onMVPA and TPB. The sample was 70% female and 93% white with 23% reporting meeting PAguidelines. Participants received one of three messages: A walking message either with orwithout the 150 min/week threshold (WalkT; WalkNT); a physiological description of MVPAwith the 150 min/week threshold (PhysT). ANCOVA examined group differences in intention.Path analysis evaluated mediation by TPB variables. ANCOVA identified lower intentions toincrease MVPA in group PhysT relative to WalkT and WalkNT (P < 0.001). PBC mediatedthis relationship in WalkT (β = 0.014, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.004–0.028) whereasaffective attitudes mediated this relationship in WalkNT (β = 0.059, 95% CI = 0.006–0.113).Conclusions: Campaigns promoting MVPA guidelines need to choose their messages carefully.Messages which exemplified MVPA through walking were associated with higher intentions toincrease MVPA than messages using a physiological description. Further, PBC was enhancedwhen the 150 min/week threshold was promoted alongside the walking exemplar. Futureexemplars should be investigated to inform adults how to meet MVPA guidelines.
