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Psychosocial and Environmental Factors of Multiple Health Behavior Change

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A special issue of International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (ISSN 1660-4601). This special issue belongs to the section "Health Behavior, Chronic Disease and Health Promotion".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 May 2023) | Viewed by 15715

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Special Issue Editors

Dr. Wei Liang

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Guest Editor

College of Physical Education, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China
Interests: health psychology; behavioral sciences; health promotion; sport sciences

Dr. Borui Shang

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Guest Editor

Department of Social Sciences, Hebei Sport University, Shijiazhuang 050000, China
Interests: health behaviors; health psychology; health promotion; sport sciences

Prof. Dr. Julien S. Baker

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Guest Editor

Center for Health and Exercise Science Research, Department of Sport, Physical Education and Health, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong 999077, China
Interests: health behaviors; medical and health sciences; applied physiology; exercise and immune function; hormonal control and exercise applied physiology; exercise biochemistry; cardiovascular disease; obesity and related co-morbidities; biomechanics
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Health behaviors, such as physical activity, healthy diet, and the absence of smoking and alcohol in one’s lifestyle, have been demonstrated to have crucial impacts on our health. The promotion of health-protective behaviors and the prevention of health-compromising behaviors has become imperative in the contemporary health science domain. Over the past few decades, health researchers and practitioners have dedicated considerable efforts to the promotion of health behaviors, although most of the research and practice has only focused on a specific health behavior and addressed different behaviors as categorically separate entities. In fact, diverse health behaviors are closely interrelated and mutually affect our health in the real world. In the past decade, research on multiple health behavior change (MHBC) has raised increasing concerns, and interventions regarding MHBC have shown great potential in maximizing overall health outcomes.

To gain a better understanding of MHBC and promote effective MHBC health programs, in this Special Issue, we aim to collect the latest developments in MHBC research, including the psychosocial and environmental determinants of MHBC, effective MHBC intervention and health promotion programs, impacts of MHBC on diverse health-related outcomes, and the implementation and dissemination of MHBC efforts among different populations. Review articles, original research including observational studies, experimental studies, and clinical trials, commentaries and editorial letters are all welcomed.

Topics of interest include but are not limited to:

Correlates of multiple health behavior change (MHBC) and healthy lifestyles;
Interventions regarding MHBC and healthy lifestyles (including study protocol);
The application and validation of theoretical models of MHBC;
Impacts of MHBC on diverse health outcomes;
The implementation and dissemination of MHBC efforts;
Policymaking and community campaigns promoting MHBC and healthy lifestyles.

We are looking forward to your active submission!

Dr. Wei Liang
Dr. Borui Shang
Prof. Dr. Julien S. Baker
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2500 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

multiple health behavior change
health behaviors
psychosocial and environmental factors
healthy lifestyle
intervention
health promotion
observational study
experimental study

Published Papers (7 papers)

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Research

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18 pages, 2910 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Fighting COVID-19 Misinformation through an Online Game Based on the Inoculation Theory: Analyzing the Mediating Effects of Perceived Threat and Persuasion Knowledge

by Jinjin Ma, Yidi Chen, Huanya Zhu and Yiqun Gan

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20(2), 980; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijerph20020980 - 05 Jan 2023

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2470

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic was accompanied by the rapid spread of misinformation through social media platforms. This study attempted to develop an online fake news game based on the inoculation theory, applicable to the pandemic context, and aimed at enhancing misinformation discrimination. It also tested whether perceived threat and persuasion knowledge serve as underlying mechanisms of the effects of the intervention on misinformation discrimination. In Study 1, we used online priming to examine the influence of inoculation on misinformation discrimination. In Study 2, we developed an online fake-news-game-based intervention and attempted to validate its effectiveness through a randomized controlled trial while also exploring the mediating roles of perceived threat and persuasion knowledge. In Study 1, brief inoculation information priming significantly enhanced the ability to recognize misinformation (F(2.502) = 8.321, p < 0.001, η_p² = 0.032). In Study 2, the five-day game-based intervention significantly enhanced the ability to recognize misinformation (F(2.322) = 3.301, p = 0.038, η_p² = 0.020). The mediation effect of persuasion knowledge was significant (β = 0.025, SE = 0.016, 95% CI = [0.034, 0.075]), while that of perceived threat was not significant. Online interventions based on the inoculation theory are effective in enhancing misinformation discrimination, and one of the underlying mechanisms of this effect lies in its promotion of persuasion knowledge. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Psychosocial and Environmental Factors of Multiple Health Behavior Change)

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21 pages, 6104 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Neighborhood Built and Social Environment Influences on Lifestyle Behaviors among College Students in a High-Density City: A Photovoice Study

by Ming Yu Claudia Wong, Kailing Ou, Chun-Qing Zhang and Ru Zhang

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(24), 16558; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijerph192416558 - 09 Dec 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1780

Abstract

Based on the social ecological approach, a photovoice study was conducted to explore how neighborhood built and social environments facilitate or hinder college students’ lifestyle behaviors, including physical activity, active transportation, and dietary behavior. A total of 37 college students took photos about neighborhood built and social environments that may affect their physical activity, dietary behavior, and active transportation, and shared their perceptions about how neighborhood built and social environments influence their lifestyle behaviors. Our findings demonstrated that the availability and accessibility of services, school facilities, and home facilities affected physical activity and dietary behaviors among college students. Moreover, the well-developed transportation facilities and networks benefit college students’ active transportation. Environments-based interventions are recommended in future research to better understand the associations between neighborhood built and social environments and lifestyle behaviors in college students. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Psychosocial and Environmental Factors of Multiple Health Behavior Change)

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11 pages, 558 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Psychometric Properties of the Abbreviated Version of the Dual School Climate and School Identification Measure–Student (SCASIM-St15) among Adolescents in China

by Yanqiu Yu, Joyce Hoi-Yuk Ng, Anise M. S. Wu, Juliet Honglei Chen, Deborah Baofeng Wang, Guohua Zhang, Mengni Du, Dajin Du, Mingxuan Du and Joseph T. F. Lau

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(24), 16535; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijerph192416535 - 09 Dec 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1264

Abstract

School climate and school identification are two distinct yet closely interrelated components of school environment; both are associated with adolescents’ multiple health behavioral changes. The 15-item Abbreviated version of the Dual School Climate and School Identification Measure–Student (SCASIM-St15) and its 5-factor model simultaneously and separately assess these two constructs. This study validated the Chinese version of SCASIM-St15 among 1108 students from junior middle schools, senior middle schools, and vocational high schools in Taizhou city, Zhejiang, China, via an anonymous, self-administered cross-sectional survey. Confirmatory factor analysis supports the 5-factor model of the original SCASIM-St15 with a satisfactory model fit. Its four factors (i.e., student–student relations, staff–student relations, academic emphasis, and shared values and approach) assess school climate; its fifth factor assesses school identification. The subscales of the SCASIM-St15 demonstrate good psychometric properties, including measurement invariance (across sex and school type), good internal consistency, an absence of floor effect, and good external validity with four external variables (depression, peer victimization, classmate support, and teacher–student relationship). However, some substantial ceiling effects were observed. The five subscales differ significantly across the school types but not between males and females. The validated SCASIM-St15 can be applied to simultaneously understand school climate/school identification among Chinese adolescents, which may greatly facilitate future related observational and intervention research. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Psychosocial and Environmental Factors of Multiple Health Behavior Change)

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13 pages, 1420 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Interactive Compensation Effects of Physical Activity and Sleep on Mental Health: A Longitudinal Panel Study among Chinese College Students during the COVID-19 Pandemic

by Yao Zhang, Jianxiu Liu, Yi Zhang, Limei Ke and Ruidong Liu

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(19), 12323; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijerph191912323 - 28 Sep 2022

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1622

Abstract

Physical activity (PA) and sleep are both important to mental health. However, their joint effects on mental distress have not been well explored. The aim of this study was to investigate the joint effects of PA and sleep on mental health, as well as the dose-response relationships between PA and mental health under different sleep health statuses. A longitudinal panel study was adopted to evaluate the relationship between PA, sleep, and mental health among 66 healthy Chinese college students with four online questionnaire surveys. A mixed-effect model with individual-level random effect was used to analyze the interactive regulation effect of PA and sleep on mental health, and a generalized additive model with splines was further fitted to analyze dose-response relationships between variables. When sleep was at a healthy level, no significant difference in mental health was observed between different levels of PA (p > 0.05). However, poor sleepers with moderate and high PA levels indicated significantly fewer negative emotions than those with low PA levels (p = 0.001, p = 0.004). Likewise, poor sleepers who engaged in more moderate intensity PA could significantly reduce negative emotions (β = −0.470, p = 0.011) in a near-linear trend. In summary, both sleep and PA benefit mental health, and they probably regulate mental health through an interactive compensation mode. For good and poor sleepers, PA plays a different role in maintaining and improving mental health. Increasing moderate intensity PA up to moderate-and-high levels is recommended for those who simultaneously suffer from sleep and psychological health problems. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Psychosocial and Environmental Factors of Multiple Health Behavior Change)

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20 pages, 2088 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Association of Social-Cognitive Factors with Individual Preventive Behaviors of COVID-19 among a Mixed-Sample of Older Adults from China and Germany

by Yanping Duan, Sonia Lippke, Wei Liang, Borui Shang, Franziska Maria Keller, Petra Wagner, Julien Steven Baker and Jiali He

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(11), 6364; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijerph19116364 - 24 May 2022

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 1574

Abstract

Identifying modifiable correlates of older adults’ preventive behaviors is contributable to the prevention of the COVID-19 and future pandemics. This study aimed to examine the associations of social-cognitive factors (motivational and volitional factors) with three preventive behaviors (hand washing, facemask wearing, and physical distancing) in a mixed sample of older adults from China and Germany and to evaluate the moderating effects of countries. A total of 578 older adults (356 Chinese and 222 German) completed the online cross-sectional study. The questionnaire included demographics, three preventive behaviors before and during the pandemic, motivational factors (health knowledge, attitude, subjective norm, risk perception, motivational self-efficacy (MSE), intention), and volitional factors (volitional self-efficacy (VSE), planning, and self-monitoring) of preventive behaviors. Results showed that most social-cognitive factors were associated with three behaviors with small-to-moderate effect sizes (f² = 0.02 to 0.17), controlled for demographics and past behaviors. Country moderated five associations, including VSE and hand washing, self-monitoring and facemask wearing, MSE and physical distancing, VSE and physical distancing, and planning and physical distancing. Findings underline the generic importance of modifiable factors and give new insights to future intervention and policymaking. Country-related mechanisms should be considered when aiming to learn from other countries about the promotion of preventive behaviors. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Psychosocial and Environmental Factors of Multiple Health Behavior Change)

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Review

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14 pages, 1564 KiB

Open AccessReview

Parental Influence on Child and Adolescent Physical Activity Level: A Meta-Analysis

by Diana L. Y. Su, Tracy C. W. Tang, Joan S. K. Chung, Alfred S. Y. Lee, Catherine M. Capio and Derwin K. C. Chan

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(24), 16861; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijerph192416861 - 15 Dec 2022

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2105

Abstract

Parents are often regarded as one of the significant social agents who are important to the participation of physical activity (PA) among children and adolescents. However, within the literature, the relationships between parental influences and child and adolescent PA have been inconclusive and discordant. The purpose of this meta-analysis was to quantify and synthesize the associations between parental social influences (positive parental influence, punishment, and discouragement) and the PA level of children and adolescents. Through a systematic literature search using PsycINFO, Web of Science, PubMed, ProQuest, and SPORTDiscus databases, we identified 112 eligible studies and subsequently extracted 741 effect sizes for our analysis. Multilevel meta-analysis showed that the corrected zero-order correlation of positive parental influence was positive and statistically significant, r = 0.202, SE = 0.014, t = 14.975, p < 0.001, 95% confidence interval (CI) = [0.176, 0.228]. Further moderation analysis also found that this was significantly moderated by parental gender (maternal vs. paternal), respondent of influence measure (parent-reported vs. child-reported), and type of PA measure (subjective vs. objective). The corrected zero-order correlations of negative parental influences (i.e., punishment and discouragement) were not statistically significant, and no significant moderation effects were observed. The findings of our meta-analysis showed that children and adolescents had higher PA levels when their parents supported PA participation by exerting positive social influence. Punishment and discouragement against PA by parents did not appear to be significantly associated with the PA level of children and adolescents. The findings of negative parental social influence were mixed and required further investigations. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Psychosocial and Environmental Factors of Multiple Health Behavior Change)

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16 pages, 531 KiB

Open AccessReview

Effect of Square Dance Interventions on Physical and Mental Health among Chinese Older Adults: A Systematic Review

by Kai-ling Ou, Ming Yu Claudia Wong, Pak Kwong Chung and Kei Yee Katie Chui

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(10), 6181; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijerph19106181 - 19 May 2022

Cited by 11 | Viewed by 3717

Abstract

(1) Background: Square dancing is an emerging form of aerobic exercise in China, especially among middle-aged and older people. The benefits of square dancing have been investigated and promoted in recent years through research and interventions. Interventions have been conducted to promote the participants’ reactionary participation in physical activity, social and family cohesion, and other psychological benefits. Therefore, square dancing has been promoted as a major factor in China’s increase in physical activity prevalence. (2) Methods: A systematic review was used to identify studies that have indicated the effect of square dancing on the physical and mental health among Chinese older adults. (3) Results: Twenty-four studies examining the effects of square dancing on older Chinese adults were extracted. These studies were not found in English databases. The quality of the retrieved studies had a moderate-to-high risk of bias. Square dancing interventions were shown to result in effective mental, physical, and cognitive improvements in the systematic synthesis. (4) Conclusions: This study examined the effects of square dancing in China over the past 10 years on the physical and mental health of older adults. Based on the results of this study, recommendations can be made for future square dance interventions for older adults such as male-oriented, mixed-gender, or intergenerational programs. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Psychosocial and Environmental Factors of Multiple Health Behavior Change)

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