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Using Ecological Momentary Assessment to Examine Antecedents and Correlates of Physical Activity Bouts in Adults Age 50+ Years: A Pilot Study

  • Rapid Communication
  • Published:
Annals of Behavioral Medicine

Abstract

Background

National recommendations supporting the promotion of multiple short (10+ minute) physical activity bouts each day to increase overall physical activity levels in middle-aged and older adults underscore the need to identify antecedents and correlates of such daily physical activity episodes.

Purpose

This pilot study used Ecological Momentary Assessment to examine the time-lagged and concurrent effects of empirically supported social, cognitive, affective, and physiological factors on physical activity among adults age 50+ years.

Methods

Participants (N = 23) responded to diary prompts on a handheld computer four times per day across a 2-week period. Moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA), self-efficacy, positive and negative affect, control, demand, fatigue, energy, social interactions, and stressful events were assessed during each sequence.

Results

Multivariate results showed that greater self-efficacy and control predicted greater MVPA at each subsequent assessment throughout the day (p < 0.05). Also, having a positive social interaction was concurrently related to higher levels of MVPA (p = 0.052).

Conclusion

Time-varying multidimensional individual processes predict within daily physical activity levels.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Health Promotion Research Branch, Behavioral Research Program, Division of Cancer Control and Population Sciences, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD, USA

    Genevieve Fridlund Dunton Ph.D., M.P.H. & Audie A. Atienza Ph.D.

  2. Stanford Prevention Research Center, Department of Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, CA, USA

    Cynthia M. Castro Ph.D.

  3. Division of Epidemiology, Department of Health Research & Policy, and Stanford Prevention Research Center, Department of Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, CA, USA

    Abby C. King Ph.D.

  4. Institute for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Research, University of Southern California, 1000 S. Fremont Ave. Unit 8 Bldg 5, Rm 5229, Alhambra, CA, 91803, USA

    Genevieve Fridlund Dunton Ph.D., M.P.H.

Authors
  1. Genevieve Fridlund Dunton Ph.D., M.P.H.
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  2. Audie A. Atienza Ph.D.
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  3. Cynthia M. Castro Ph.D.
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  4. Abby C. King Ph.D.
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Genevieve Fridlund Dunton Ph.D., M.P.H..

Additional information

Research was supported by a grant from the National Institute of Aging (AG-12358).

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Dunton, G.F., Atienza, A.A., Castro, C.M. et al. Using Ecological Momentary Assessment to Examine Antecedents and Correlates of Physical Activity Bouts in Adults Age 50+ Years: A Pilot Study. ann. behav. med. 38, 249–255 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12160-009-9141-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12160-009-9141-4

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