Body@Work

DEPAS: TOWARDS TAILORED PHYSICAL ACTIVITY COUSELLING: CONSCIOUS AND UNCONSCIOUS DETERMINANTS OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AND SEDENTARY BEHAVIOR IN OLDER ADULTS

PERIOD
2009 – 2013

FUNDING
Body@Work, Research Center on Physical Activity, Work and Health, TNO-VU University Medical Centre, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

INVESTIGATORS
Mw. drs. M.A.Koeneman ^1,2
Mw. dr. ir. M.W. Verheijden ³
Mw. dr. M. Chin A Paw ^1,2
Prof. dr. M. Hopman-Rock ^1,2,3

¹ Body@Work, Research Center on Physical Activity, Work and Health, TNO-VU University Medical Centre, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
² Department of Social Medicine, The EMGO Institute for Health and Care Research (EMGO+), VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
³ TNO Quality of Life, Healthy living, Leiden, The Netherlands

BACKGROUND
Even though there is no doubt that participation in moderate physical activity is beneficial for physical en emotional functioning only 50% of older adults in The Netherlands are physical active. Despite the fact that problems with uptake of and adherence to physical activity programs have been recognized for a while, little progress has been made to overcome them. Understanding individual factors related to physical activity behaviors and understanding how to change these factors is a prerequisite for designing effective interventions that can be tailored to each individual’s needs. Because not only conscious decision making is important in health behavior, the current study will also investigate unconscious correlates that are of interest in improving initial and continued participation in physical activity.

OBJECTIVES
The current study aims to identify the determinants and correlates of initiation of and adherence to physical activity relevant to older adults. Correlates that are predominantly of interest are: socio-demographic factors as well as modifiable behavioral and environmental correlates. Unconscious processes underlying behavior are an additional focus of the study. In view of recent findings that sedentary behavior is an independent risk factor for ill health, correlates of sedentary behavior will also be assessed.

METHODS
A systematic literature review should provide the researchers with the known motivators and barriers to physical activity as well as the correlates to sedentary behavior. Secondary analyses on (longitudinal) datasets will provide additional information on the motivators and barriers. Lab and field experiments will yield information on unconscious determinants of behavior.

RESULTS
Not yet available.

Margot Koeneman
More information:
e-mail: margot.koeneman@tno.nl
tel: +31 88 866 24 13