title: Relationships between self-regulation skills and physical activity and fruit and vegetable consumption in obese adults: mediation of mood and self-efficacy.
abstract: In cognitive-behavioral treatments for obesity, self-regulation is thought to be a strong predictor of behavioral change, but it is rarely directly measured in intervention research. Thus, how self-regulation interacts with other psychological variables regarding treatment effects is largely unknown. In this preliminary field study, self-regulatory skills were directly measured and were found to be significantly associated with both volume of exercise and fruit and vegetable consumption in severely obese adults (N=116) enrolled in a behavioral weight management program. Significant partial and complete mediation of the relationship between self-regulation for physical activity and physical activity, and self-regulation for appropriate eating and fruit and vegetable intake, respectively, were found by reported negative mood. Self-efficacy was not found to be a significant mediator of these relationships. The bivariate relationship between baseline scores of self-regulation for physical activity and self-regulation for appropriate eating was significant (r = .46), which supported the premise that self-regulation is a trait-like personal characteristic. Volume of exercise and fruit and vegetable consumption significantly predicted weight loss over 6 months (R2 = .35). Results were consistent with the few laboratory-based findings available and, after replication, may extend theory related to obesity treatment.
authors.affiliation: YMCA of Metropolitan Atlanta, 100 Edgewood Avenue, NE, Suite 1100, Atlanta, GA 30303, USA. jamesa@ymcaatlanta.org
authors.forename: James J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Annesi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001521:Behavior Therapy; D015444:Exercise / Q000523:psychology*; D005247:Feeding Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D005638:Fruit; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D007389:Internal-External Control; D008019:Life Style; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy; D020377:Self Efficacy; D012927:Social Control, Informal; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013694:Temperament; D014675:Vegetables; D015431:Weight Loss