Predicting Adolescents’ Physical Activity Intentions: Testing an Integrated Social Cognition Model

Abstract

Background Few adolescents meet guideline levels of physical activity associated with good health, highlighting the need for intervention. Interventions promoting adolescents’ physical activity should be guided by research applying behavioral theory to identify potentially modifiable correlates and associated processes. We applied an integrated social cognition model to identify theory-based constructs and processes that relate to physical activity intentions in a secondary analysis of two samples of Finnish adolescents using a correlational design. Method Participants in the first sample (n = 455) completed self-report measures of social cognition constructs from theory of planned behavior, habit, self-discipline, and past and current physical activities. Participants in the second sample (n = 3878) completed identical measures plus measures of socio-structural and socio-environmental factors. Participants from the first sample also wore accelerometers for 1 week. Hypothesized model effects were tested using variance-based structural equation modeling in data from the first sample and subsequently confirmed in a pre-registered analysis of data from the second sample. Results Across both samples, habit, attitude, perceived behavioral control, and self-reported past behavior were associated with physical activity intention. Effects of self-reported past physical activity on intention were partially mediated by social cognition constructs. Effects of accelerometer-based physical activity were small by comparison. Effects of socio-structural and socio-environmental factors on intention in the second sample were partially mediated by the social cognition constructs. Conclusion Results corroborate beliefs and habit as consistent correlates of adolescents’ physical activity intentions and provide preliminary evidence that social cognition constructs account for effects of socio-structural and socio-environmental factors on intentions.

Economic status as a predictor of motivational and affective experiences in Physical Education and physical activity intentions: a cross-sectional study in six European countries

“…In addition, it highlights that factors how other factors besides BPN may also explain why a lower ES is associated with lower out-of-school physical activity intentions. For example, subjective norms, perceived behavioural control, attitudes (Balla et al, 2023) or parental support (Seabra et al, 2013) could play a significant role in explaining why students with lower ES have weaker intentions to engage in physical activity. In sum, congruent with theoretical models derived from SDT (Vasconcellos et al, 2020), BPN satisfaction appear as a substantial predictor of affective and motivational experiences in PE, but a more distal determinant of out-of-school physical activity intentions.…”