Self-affirmation enhances the intention to improve physical inactivity through health risk messages

抄録

This study examined how self-affirmation influences people’s intention to improve health behaviors after reading messages about health risks from physical inactivity. A usual physical activity level, measured by a smartphone app, was used as a moderator. Participants (103 Japanese undergraduates) reported their usual physical activity (average walking and running distances) measured by a health management app. They then completed a writing task, in which they affirmed (or did not affirm) important personal values. After the task, they read health risk messages about physical inactivity and reported their intention to increase their daily physical activity. The results revealed that participants with low physical activity levels displayed a significantly stronger intention to increase their daily physical activity when they self-affirmed than when they did not. Conversely, participants with high levels of physical activity did not show a significant effect of self-affirmation. These results suggest that the effect of self-affirmation on improving physical inactivity is moderated by the level of usual physical activity, highlighting the significance of the relevance of the health messages.