Cognitive mediation of intervention effects on physical exercise: Causal models for the adoption and maintenance stage |
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Authors: | Reinhard Fuchs Harald Seelig Wiebke Göhner Nicola W Burton Wendy J Brown |
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Institution: | 1. Institute of Sport and Sport Science , University of Freiburg , Freiburg , Germany reinhard.fuchs@sport.uni-freiburg.de;3. Institute of Sport and Sport Science , University of Freiburg , Freiburg , Germany;4. Catholic University of Applied Sciences , Freiburg , Germany;5. School of Human Movement Studies , The University of Queensland , Brisbane , Australia |
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Abstract: | Objective: To investigate how the effects of a group-based intervention program (MoVo-LISA) on exercise behaviour were mediated by cognitive variables. Different causal models mapping the short-term (adoption) and long-term (maintenance) intervention effects were tested using path analyses. Design: N?=?220 in-patients of a rehabilitation clinic were assigned to an usual care or intervention group (quasi-experimental design). Questionnaire-based assessment was conducted at baseline; discharge; and at six weeks, six months and 12 months post discharge. Measures: The potential mediator variables were outcome expectations, self-efficacy, strength of goal intention (intention strength), self-concordance, action planning and barrier management. Results: Observed intervention effects on exercise behaviour (p?<?0.05) were mediated by intention strength at the adoption and maintenance stages, by action planning only at the adoption, and by barrier management only at the maintenance stage. Self-efficacy and outcome expectations were only indirectly involved in these mediations by affecting intention strength and self-concordance. Conclusion: This is the first study to track the cognitive mediation processes of intervention effects on exercise behaviour over a long time-period by differentiating the adoption and maintenance stages of behaviour change. The findings emphasise the importance of deconstructing intervention effects (modifiability vs. predictive power of a mediator) to develop more effective interventions. |
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Keywords: | mediator physical activity group intervention path analysis |
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