Implementation intentions and characteristics in walking activity maintainer

Abstract

[Purpose] Implementation intentions (IMPs) consists of an if-then plan. “If” represents a specific stimulus or event, “then” indicates the behavior that we want to adopt. Although it has been shown that the preferences in the content of “if’/“then” vary by age group, it is necessary to consider the influence of gender. In this study, we examined the following: 1) differences in physical activity timing and busyness by age and gender, 2) factors that bring about walking activity, 3) effects of walking, 4) barriers factors for walking activity and coping strategies. [Methods] Data were collected from 1,000 people, aged ranging from 20s to 60s, who had a habit of engaging in physical activity, through an internet survey. We asked the subjects regarding the following: 1) demographic data, 2) content of physical activity (“then” part), 3) time of the day, 4) effect obtained by physical activity, 5) “if” part, 6) interfering factors, 7) coping method. If the answer in 2) was related to walking activity, it was included in the analysis. [Results] For those in their 20s, men were more likely to engage in physical activity at night than women. The obtained effect was felt by men in their 50s compared to women. For the “if” part, four categories were extracted: “activities of daily living,” “job cues,” “time-related cues,” and “internal/external factors”. [Conclusions] The findings obtained in this study can contribute to the development of media for IMPs intervention to promote walking activity.