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Automaticity facets applied to screen-time sedentary behaviours and active commuting measured by accelerometers.
Gonzalo Marchant1,2, Philippe Servajean1, Virginie Nicaise2
1Univ Paul Valéry Montpellier 3, Univ. Montpellier, Montpellier, France.
Health Psychology and Behavioral Medicine
|May 27, 2021
Summary
Active commuting, like walking or cycling to work, is linked to higher physical activity when it feels automatic. However, screen time increases with automatic sedentary behaviors, highlighting a need for targeted interventions.
Area of Science:
- Behavioral Science
- Public Health
- Exercise Science
Background:
- Sedentary screen time is a significant health risk for adults.
- Active commuting (walking, cycling) promotes physical activity and population health.
- Automaticity may explain engagement in these behaviors.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the role of automaticity in active commuting and screen-based sedentary behaviors.
- To understand how external cues, lack of intentionality, and controllability influence these behaviors.
- To identify features for promoting active commuting and reducing sedentary time.
Main Methods:
- Prospective, correlational study with 128 participants.
- Assessed automaticity using the Generic Multifaceted Automaticity Scale (GMAS).
- Measured behaviors via daily logs and accelerometry over seven days.
Main Results:
- Higher lack of intentionality and controllability in active commuting correlated with increased moderate physical activity.
- Lack of controllability in screen-based sedentary behaviors predicted higher sedentary screen time.
- Automaticity facets showed distinct relationships with active commuting versus sedentary behavior.
Conclusions:
- A multidimensional approach to automaticity can refine strategies for behavior change.
- Understanding automaticity is key to promoting active commuting.
- Targeting automaticity can help reduce screen-based sedentary time.
