The value of sedentary alternatives influences child physical activity choice.

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Title: The value of sedentary alternatives influences child physical activity choice.
Authors: Epstein LH (AUTHOR), Roemmich JN (AUTHOR), Saad FG (AUTHOR), Handley EA (AUTHOR)
Source: International Journal of Behavioral Medicine. Dec2004, Vol. 11 Issue 4, p236-242. 7p.
Abstract: The choice to be physically active or sedentary depends in part on the value of the alternatives that are available. The shift from sedentary to active alternatives may be a function of the value of the sedentary alternatives. To evaluate the influence of the value of the sedentary alternatives on the choice to be physically active or sedentary, 30 nonobese 8-12-year-old youth were randomized in groups that provided a choice between 4 active alternatives or 4 sedentary alternatives (Group 1), their least valued sedentary activity (Group 2), or their most valued sedentary activity (Group 3), on computerized and questionnaire versions of a behavioral choice task. The computer task required participants to work for access to the alternatives. The work required to obtain access to the active alternatives remained constant for all choices, while the work required to gain access to the sedentary alternatives progressively increased. Compared to Groups 1 and 3, participants in Group 2 chose to be sedentary less often as they had to make a choice between being physically active or sedentary on the computerized (p < .005) and the questionnaire version (p < .05) of the behavioral choice task, which correlated r = .54, p < .01. These results suggest interventions designed to increase physical activity by reducing access to sedentary behaviors may need to consider the value of the targeted sedentary behavior and the extent to which the sedentary behaviors compete with physical activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Copyright of International Journal of Behavioral Medicine is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
Database: Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection
Description
Abstract:The choice to be physically active or sedentary depends in part on the value of the alternatives that are available. The shift from sedentary to active alternatives may be a function of the value of the sedentary alternatives. To evaluate the influence of the value of the sedentary alternatives on the choice to be physically active or sedentary, 30 nonobese 8-12-year-old youth were randomized in groups that provided a choice between 4 active alternatives or 4 sedentary alternatives (Group 1), their least valued sedentary activity (Group 2), or their most valued sedentary activity (Group 3), on computerized and questionnaire versions of a behavioral choice task. The computer task required participants to work for access to the alternatives. The work required to obtain access to the active alternatives remained constant for all choices, while the work required to gain access to the sedentary alternatives progressively increased. Compared to Groups 1 and 3, participants in Group 2 chose to be sedentary less often as they had to make a choice between being physically active or sedentary on the computerized (p < .005) and the questionnaire version (p < .05) of the behavioral choice task, which correlated r = .54, p < .01. These results suggest interventions designed to increase physical activity by reducing access to sedentary behaviors may need to consider the value of the targeted sedentary behavior and the extent to which the sedentary behaviors compete with physical activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
ISSN:10705503
DOI:10.1207/s15327558ijbm1104_7