Process of Change, Self-efficacy, Decisional Balance, and Stage Of Change of Physical Activity in Children: a Meta-analysis

Abstract

Research findings on the application of the transtheoretical model (TTM) to physical activity in children and adolescents have been inconsistent, indicating that the relationships between structural elements in the TTM are unclear. We conducted a database search to collect TTM-based cross-sectional studies and used a meta-analysis to explore the relationships between processes of change (POC), self-efficacy (SEI), decisional balance (DBL), and stages of change in children and adolescents. Meta-analysis results of 16 articles showed that physical activity stage changes in children and adolescents were associated with POC, SEI, and DBL, and that POC, SEI, and DBL had distinct stage characteristics. Thus, POC, SEI, and DBL differ in the extent to which they play a role in adjacent stage transitions in the physical activity of children and adolescents. We recommend that stage-matched intervention strategies be developed based on key elements of adjacent stage transitions.

Associations between physical activity, mental health concerns, eating disorder symptoms, and emotional intelligence in adolescent athletes transitioning from COVID-19

“…Within this framework, individuals’ perception of the positive benefits (“pros”) are balanced against the negative obstacles (“cons”), which aids in decision-making [ 15 ]. According to this model, behavioral change is a process that unfolds over time, and involves progress through a series of five stages: (1) Pre-Contemplation (the individual is not intending to take action within the next 6 months, e.g., the athlete is not considering changing their current level of athletic activity, whether it be relatively low or high); (2) Contemplation (the individual is intending to take action within the next 6 months, e.g., the athlete is considering changing their current level of athletic activity within the next 6 months, either to increase it, or decrease it); (3) Preparation (the individual is intending to take action within the next 1 month, e.g., the athlete is intending to either increase or decrease their current level of athletic activity within the next 1 month); (4) Action (the individual has made specific, overt modifications in their behavior within the preceding 6 months; e.g., the athlete has made observable changes in either increasing or decreasing their level of athletic activity within the past 6 months); and (5) Maintenance (the individual is working to prevent relapse into old behaviors, but does not need to apply change processes as frequently as in the action stage, e.g., the athlete is in a routine of athletic activity that has stabilized at their desired level, and less motivation is needed to improve this level) [ 16 ].…”