The impact of Dietary Weight loss, Aerobic Exercise, and Daylong Movement on Social Cognitive Mediators of Long-term Weight loss.

Journal of behavioral medicine. 2023;46(3):499-508

Plain language summary

Obesity in older adults predisposes individuals to physical disability, a host of chronic diseases, and premature mortality. A strong body of evidence indicates that well-designed structured exercise interventions increase older adults’ self-efficacy and satisfaction with their physical functioning, and these are important social cognitive outcomes closely linked with quality of life and health behaviour change. The main aim of this study was to investigate changes in walking self-efficacy and satisfaction after the 6-month intensive phase of the intervention. This study was a secondary analysis of the Empowered with Movement to Prevent Obesity and Weight Regain (EMPOWER) study, which was an 18-month, three-group, single-blind randomised trial. A total of 183 participants were randomly assigned to one of the three treatment arms: weight loss + structured exercise (WL+EX), WL+ sitting less and moving more across the day (SL), or WL+EX+SL. Results showed that: - participants demonstrated improvements in self-efficacy and satisfaction following the 6-month intervention weight loss and physical activity intervention. - participants who received an exercise intervention focused on sustained walking demonstrated significantly better self-efficacy for walking relative to those who did not (WL+SL). - both WL+EX and WL+EX+SL regressed to baseline levels of self-efficacy for walking by month 18, only WL+SL did not significantly decrease self-efficacy scores, sustaining a significant increase over baseline. Authors conclude that programs focused on daylong movement may contribute to improved self-efficacy and satisfaction. Thus, health promotion professionals should demonstrate flexibility in the ways in which physical activity is prescribed for older adults since not everyone resonates with traditional structured exercise.

Abstract

This report contrasts the impact of a dietary weight loss intervention (WL) paired with aerobic exercise (EX) and/or sitting less and moving throughout the day (SL) on self-efficacy for walking (hereafter walking self-efficacy) and satisfaction with physical functioning (hereafter satisfaction). Additional analyses examined dose-response associations between change in weight and changes in these key outcomes. Older adults (N = 112; age = 70.21[Formula: see text]4.43) were randomized to 6 months of WL+EX, WL+SL, or WL+EX+SL followed by a 12-month maintenance period. All groups reported increases in walking self-efficacy at month 6 with greater improvements in WL+EX and WL + EX+SL. Only WL+SL demonstrated improved walking self-efficacy at month 18. All conditions demonstrated improved satisfaction scores at both time points. Changes in walking self-efficacy and satisfaction were negatively associated with change in weight over the 6-month intervention and after the maintenance period. These results support the utility of WL + SL for improving key social cognitive outcomes in aging.

Lifestyle medicine

Fundamental Clinical Imbalances : Neurological ; Structural
Patient Centred Factors : Triggers/Exercise
Environmental Inputs : Physical exercise
Personal Lifestyle Factors : Exercise and movement ; Psychological
Functional Laboratory Testing : Not applicable

Methodological quality

Jadad score : 3
Allocation concealment : Yes

Metadata

Nutrition Evidence keywords : Weight loss ; Aerobic exercise ; Physical activity