Type
Text
Type
Dissertation
Advisor
Moyer, Anne | Lobel, Marci | Lerner, Matthew D | Messina, Catherine R.
Date
2016-12-01
Keywords
Psychology -- Public health | diet, gateway behavior, multiple health behavior change, Women's Health Initiative
Department
Department of Social/Health Psychology
Language
en_US
Source
This work is sponsored by the Stony Brook University Graduate School in compliance with the requirements for completion of degree.
Identifier
http://hdl.handle.net/11401/76796
Publisher
The Graduate School, Stony Brook University: Stony Brook, NY.
Format
application/pdf
Abstract
The gateway behavior hypothesis posits that changes in a health behavior that is targeted for change may promote positive changes in other untargeted health behaviors; however, previous gateway behavior studies have shown inconsistent results. The purpose of the current study was to examine the patterns and predictors of change in untargeted health behaviors in the first year of a diet modification trial. Specifically, the study explored change in untargeted physical activity, alcohol consumption, and smoking behavior in the first year of the Women’s Health Initiative dietary modification trial, in which postmenopausal women were randomly assigned to either control (n = 29,294) or a diet modification intervention (n = 19,541), with the goals of decreasing percent daily fat intake and increasing fruit and vegetable servings and whole grains servings. The present investigation characterized patterns of change in untargeted behaviors from baseline to year 1 and assessed whether study arm and dietary change in the first year of the trial were associated with changes in untargeted behaviors. In addition, individual differences in the patterns of change were examined, as were sociodemographic, medical history, and psychosocial predictors of untargeted change. Results showed that, although there were increases in physical activity and decreases in alcohol consumption and smoking behavior, these changes were not consistently associated with study arm or dietary change. Moreover, although a repeated-measures latent class analysis identified three unique subgroups of participants with similar patterns of untargeted health behaviors, none of the classes showed substantial change in the probability of engagement in any of the behaviors between the two time points, and the study arms had nearly identical latent class solutions. These findings suggest that dietary change did not act as a gateway behavior for change in the untargeted behaviors and that researchers interested in changing multiple health behaviors may need to deliberately target additional behaviors. | The gateway behavior hypothesis posits that changes in a health behavior that is targeted for change may promote positive changes in other untargeted health behaviors; however, previous gateway behavior studies have shown inconsistent results. The purpose of the current study was to examine the patterns and predictors of change in untargeted health behaviors in the first year of a diet modification trial. Specifically, the study explored change in untargeted physical activity, alcohol consumption, and smoking behavior in the first year of the Women’s Health Initiative dietary modification trial, in which postmenopausal women were randomly assigned to either control (n = 29,294) or a diet modification intervention (n = 19,541), with the goals of decreasing percent daily fat intake and increasing fruit and vegetable servings and whole grains servings. The present investigation characterized patterns of change in untargeted behaviors from baseline to year 1 and assessed whether study arm and dietary change in the first year of the trial were associated with changes in untargeted behaviors. In addition, individual differences in the patterns of change were examined, as were sociodemographic, medical history, and psychosocial predictors of untargeted change. Results showed that, although there were increases in physical activity and decreases in alcohol consumption and smoking behavior, these changes were not consistently associated with study arm or dietary change. Moreover, although a repeated-measures latent class analysis identified three unique subgroups of participants with similar patterns of untargeted health behaviors, none of the classes showed substantial change in the probability of engagement in any of the behaviors between the two time points, and the study arms had nearly identical latent class solutions. These findings suggest that dietary change did not act as a gateway behavior for change in the untargeted behaviors and that researchers interested in changing multiple health behaviors may need to deliberately target additional behaviors. | 208 pages
Recommended Citation
Sarma, Elizabeth Anne, "Patterns and Predictors of Untargeted Health Behavior Change in the First Year of the Women’s Health Initiative Dietary Modification Trial | Patterns and Predictors of Untargeted Health Behavior Change in the First Year of the Women’s Health Initiative Dietary Modification Trial" (2016). Stony Brook Theses and Dissertations Collection, 2006-2020 (closed to submissions). 2674.
https://commons.library.stonybrook.edu/stony-brook-theses-and-dissertations-collection/2674