Self-nudging toward physical activity: Scale development, validation, and workplace implications

Area of Science:

• Behavioral Science
• Occupational Health Psychology
• Health Promotion

Background:

• Nudging theory offers strategies to influence behavior.
• Self-nudging involves individuals intentionally applying nudges to themselves.
• Understanding self-nudging's impact on occupational well-being is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a reliable measure for self-nudging toward physical activity.
• To assess the psychometric properties and validity of the self-nudging scale.
• To examine the relationship between self-nudging, physical activity, and occupational outcomes.

Main Methods:

• Three-phase study: item development, psychometric testing (N=1540), and longitudinal validity assessment (N=716).
• Factor analysis confirmed a one-factor structure for the self-nudging scale.
• Structural equation modeling analyzed longitudinal relationships.

Main Results:

• The self-nudging scale demonstrated good reliability and validity.
• Self-nudging positively correlated with physical activity, capacity, well-being, and job performance.
• Self-nudging predicted increased well-being and decreased strain over 3 months, mediated by physical capacity.

Conclusions:

• The developed scale effectively measures self-nudging for physical activity.
• Self-nudging is a viable strategy for enhancing employee physical activity, well-being, and job performance.
• Findings support nudging theory and offer practical workplace health promotion tools.