Plain language summary
Many behavioural interventions have been implemented in order to increase physical activity levels among adults. Despite these efforts, there is often a large gap between setting goals and attaining goals. The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to evaluate the effectiveness of using theory-based strategies on goal attainment in promoting physical activity among adults (specifically implementation intentions or if-then planning). Particular interest was given to the impact of reinforcements during the intervention and follow-up period for coping with obstacles. A total of 13 randomised controlled trials were included. Implementation intentions consisted of two strategies. Firstly, action planning which was designed to increase awareness of possible future situations where behaviours could be achieved. Secondly, coping planning which focused on barriers that might impede the goal behaviour, and ways to overcome these possible barriers. According to the current literature, application of the theory-based goal setting promoted physical activity behaviours, and this was heightened among those who received reinforcement of plans to increase physical activity during the follow-up period.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to verify the efficacy of using theory-based strategies on implementation intentions in promoting physical activity (PA) among adults. METHODS This review was conducted in accordance with the PRISMA recommendations. The search was carried out in seven electronic databases (LILACS, PubMed, SciELO, Cochrane, Web of Science) and two searches of the "grey literature" were performed (Openthesis and OpenGrey). Randomized clinical trials (RCT), published up to September 2016, were considered eligible for this study. Two reviewers independently and systematically evaluated the eligibility criteria, and performed data extraction. A meta-analysis was performed for the purpose of comparing the effect between the intervention and control groups. The effect sizes were grouped in two subgroups with the purpose of more accurately verifying the effect caused by reinforcing the implementation intentions strategy, and using the inverse variance statistical method with random effects models to estimate the main effect of the implementation intention strategy on the PA behavior. Heterogeneity among the studies was evaluated by using I-square statistics, and the Jadad scale to evaluate the quality of included papers. RESULTS The search resulted in 12,147 records, of which 13 RCTs were considered eligible for this review. Sample age ranged from 18 to 76 years, and participants had conditions such as medullary lesion, coronary disease, obesity, diabetes mellitus, sedentarism or occupational stress. When the summary of the effect was analyzed in the meta-analysis, the result found in the subgroup with reinforcement of the implementation intentions strategy was 0.25 (IC 95% = 0.05-0.45) in favor of the intervention group. This demonstrated that application of the implementation intentions strategy was capable of increasing PA practice in the participants of these studies, in comparison with others that did not use this reinforcement. CONCLUSION The findings of this review indicated that application of the theory of implementation intentions promoted PA behavior among the adults who received reinforcement of this strategy. The systematic review protocol was registered in the PROSPERO database under the number CRD42018090482.
Methodological quality
Allocation concealment
:
Not applicable
