title: Time perspective and exercise, obesity, and smoking: moderation of associations by age.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Time perspective, a psychological construct denoting subjective orientation to either present or future concerns, has been inconsistently associated with healthy behaviors in adults. We hypothesized that associations would be stronger in young adults, who are first developing independent attitudes, than in older adults.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional survey.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study was conducted in three cities in the Mid-Atlantic region.
  
  
  METHODS
  Subjects were 790 patrons of barber and beauty shops.
  
  
  METHODS
  Measures used were the Zimbardo Time Perspective Inventory future, present-fatalistic, and present-hedonistic subscales and current smoking, days per week of recreational exercise, and height and weight, by self-report.
  
  
  METHODS
  We tested if associations between time perspective and exercise, obesity, and current smoking differed by age group (18-24 years, 25-34 years, and 35 years and older) using analysis of variance and logistic regression.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Higher future time perspective scores, indicating greater focus on future events, was associated with more frequent exercise, whereas higher present-fatalistic time perspective scores, indicating more hopelessness, was associated with less frequent exercise in 18- to 24-year-olds, but not in older individuals. Lower future time perspective scores, and higher present-hedonistic time perspective scores, indicating interest in pleasure-seeking, were also associated with obesity only in 18- to 24-year-olds. Current smoking was not related to time perspective in any age group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Time perspective has age-specific associations with exercise and obesity, suggesting stages when time perspective may influence health behavior decision making.
authors.forename: Lori C
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Guthrie
authors.forename: Stephen C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Butler
authors.forename: Kristen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Lessl
authors.forename: Onyinyechukwu
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Ochi
authors.forename: Michael M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Ward
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D015444:Exercise / Q000502:physiology / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D005544:Forecasting; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009765:Obesity / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology*; D009949:Orientation / Q000502:physiology; D012907:Smoking / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013997:Time Factors; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Exercise; Health focus: fitness/physical activity; Manuscript format: research; Obesity; Outcome measure: behavioral; Prevention Research; Research purpose: modeling/relationship testing; Setting: local community; Smoking; Strategy: skill building/behavior change; Study design: nonexperimental; Target population circumstances: race/ethnicity, education/income level, geographic location; Target population: adults; Time Perspective