Physical activity promotion based on positive psychology: development and piloting of a novel intervention approach.

BACKGROUND

Regular physical activity (PA) is associated with positive health outcomes; however, rates of regular PA are low. Positive psychology interventions are efficacious in other health contexts and may be useful for promoting regular PA.

PURPOSE: Phased development and pilot/feasibility testing of a positive psychology intervention to promote PA using the ORBIT model for behavioral treatment development.

METHODS

Positive psychology and PA promotion content was translated (phase 1a) and refined (phase 1b) into two 6-week, group-based treatments: Positive psychology for PA (PPPA), and a standard PA promotion comparison condition (SPA). A feasibility test (phase 2a) for PPPA only (n = 13) and piloting (phase 2b) of PPPA (n = 30) and SPA (n = 11) were conducted at local YMCAs.

RESULTS

In phase 2a, participants attended 59% of treatment sessions, completed 92%-100% of assessments at mid-treatment, post-treatment, and one-month post-treatment, and 83.3% had clinically meaningful increases in PA. Following refinement, phase 2b PPPA participants attended an average of 73% of the treatment sessions, 90% completed assessments at mid-treatment, post-treatment, and 1-month post-treatment, 73% at 6-month post-treatment, and 81% had clinically meaningful increases in PA. SPA participants attended 75% of sessions, completed 58%-82% of assessments across timepoints, and 66.7% had clinically meaningful increases in PA. Across timepoints, PPPA participants reported positive changes in PA enjoyment (dppc= 0.622-0.782), and positive affect (dppc= 0.162-0.407) relative to SPA, and recommended the study to others to help increase PA (95.4%) and happiness (88.6%).

CONCLUSIONS

This study supports the feasibility and acceptability of a positive-psychology-based, PA promotion intervention for increasing PA in low-active adults.