Using ecological momentary assessment to examine antecedents and correlates of physical activity bouts in adults age 50+ years: a pilot study.
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.


OBJECTIVE
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).


CONCLUSIONS
Time-varying multidimensional individual processes predict within daily physical activity levels.
Dunton
Genevieve Fridlund
GF
Health Promotion Research Branch, Behavioral Research Program, Division of Cancer Control and Population Sciences, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD, USA. dunton@usc.edu
Atienza
Audie A
AA
Castro
Cynthia M
CM
King
Abby C
AC
D000339:Affect; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging / Q000523:psychology; D003071:Cognition; D034201:Computers, Handheld; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009043:Motor Activity; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011594:Psychometrics; D014481:United States