Self-determination theory interventions for health behavior change: Meta-analysis and meta-analytic structural equation modeling of randomized controlled trials.

Abstract

Objective: We conducted a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) to promote health behavior change based on self-determination theory (SDT). The review aimed to (a) quantify the impact of SDT interventions on health behaviors, (b) test mediation by theoretically specified variables (autonomous motivation and perceived competence), and (c) identify moderators of intervention effectiveness. Method: Computerized searches and additional strategies identified 56 articles that yielded 65 independent tests of SDT interventions. Random effects meta-analysis and metaregressions were conducted via STATA; meta-analytic structural equation modeling (MASEM) was used to test mediation. Results: The sample-weighted average effect size for SDT interventions was d ϩ ϭ .23, and there were significant effects for physical activity, sedentary behavior, diet, alcohol consumption, and smoking cessation (.16 Ն d ϩ Ն .29). Effect sizes exhibited both publication bias and small sample bias but remained significantly different from zero, albeit of smaller magnitude, after correction for bias (d ϩ Ն .15). MASEM indicated that autonomous motivation and perceived competence mediated intervention effects on behavior. Metaregression analyses indicated that features of the sample, intervention, or methodology generally did not moderate effect sizes. Conclusion: The present review indicates that SDT interventions have a significant but small effect on health behavior change and suggests several directions for future research. What is the public health significance of this article?This review examines the efficacy of health behavior interventions based on self-determination theory. Findings indicate that interventions have a significant but small effect on behavior change.

The Role of Basic Psychological Needs in Well-Being During the COVID-19 Outbreak: A Self-Determination Theory Perspective

“…This was followed by the mediating effect of relatedness satisfaction, which had lower indirect effect, and competence frustration had the smallest effect. When government brought measures that are unpopular and freedom constraining, especially if they were communicated in a controlling manner (83), as they were likely in Serbia, people may have even had a greater need to express their own opinions and make their own choices. Also, satisfaction with life was dependent on relatedness satisfaction, probably because "staying at home" gave people the opportunity to stay with their families.…”

“…In order to maintain optimal autonomy satisfaction, governments could, when in need of introducing unpopular measures in order to save lives, announce their measures in an autonomously supporting ways, so that people find them useful, internalize their value and adhere to proscribed measures. Giving autonomy supporting messages about the measures for social distancing and for staying at home, as a preventive measure, by explaining the value of the behavior, could help people understand and therefore internalize the value of the change in behavior (83). On the contrary, controlling messages that use shame, induce guilt, and a must, can have a negative effect in terms of even backfiring and increasing the undesired behavior change (88).…”

Keep on running – a randomized controlled trial to test a digital evidence-based intervention for sustained adoption of recreational running: rationale, design and pilot feasibility study

“…Regarding our primary outcome, we have used vigorous physical activity for our calculations. A small effect size (Cohen's d = 0.23) is expected, a value previously registered in studies with intrinsic motivation interventions (Ntoumanis et al, 2020;Sheeran et al, 2020). Considering a power of 0.8 with two-tailed analysis, we estimated that each intervention group should have 37 (p = 0.05) or 55 participants (p = 0.01).…”

“…health, personal growth, social connectedness) tend to be regulated by more self-determined forms of behavioral regulation and are thought to result in improved self-regulation and longer-term outcomes (Ingledew & Markland, 2009). In summary, SDT interventions have a significant effect on health behavior change (Sheeran et al, 2020). Additionally, SDT-informed interventions positively affect indices of health, partly due to increases in internalization, self-determined motivation and support from social agents, and were stronger at the end of interventions than at follow up (Ntoumanis et al, 2020).…”

Psychedelics and Health Behavior Change - Journal of Psychopharmacology (in press)

“…Self-determined motivation is consistently associated with improved psychological well-being and with engagement with -and persistence in -a variety of tasks and long-term behaviors (Ntoumanis et al, 2020). Consequently, the concept has been explored in studies in health behavior change, in areas such as dental hygiene (Halvari et al, 2019), diet, exercise and obesity (Teixeira, Carraça, et al, 2012), diabetes (Phillips and Guarnaccia, 2020), and tobacco cessation (Williams et al, 2016), with generally encouraging results (Leblanc et al, 2016;Sheeran et al, 2020;Teixeira, Silva, et al, 2012). We propose that it could present a fruitful psychological framework from which to understand how psychedelics could assist in lifestyle change, especially from a motivational viewpoint.…”