Abstract
The efficacy of a youth development intervention on improving eating and physical activity(PA) self-efficacy, goal attainment scaling, goal effort, and behaviors was examined in a repeated measures, quasi-experimental field trial. Ethnically diverse students (n=64) from a low-income middle school participated in the 10-session intervention driven by the Social Cognitive Theory with a Goal Setting Theory emphasis. Participants, 13-14 years old, made significant changes in dietary behaviors ( P=0.03) and PA self-efficacy (P=0.02) after receiving the intervention. Self-efficacy did not mediate dietary behavior change but did mediate the small changes made in PA. Goal effort was not a mediator of behavior change. After the intervention, more participants rated themselves as making one lasting improvement in eating (P<0.001) and PA (P<0.05) choices and/or were planning on making more. This study adds to a small body of research with youth supporting use of goal setting interventions for diet and PA change in low-income communities
Recommended Citation
Shilts, Mical Kay and Townsend, Marilyn S.
(2012)
"A Goal Setting Intervention Positively Impacts
Adolescents’ Dietary Behaviors and
Physical Activity Self-Efficacy,"
Journal of Youth Development: Vol. 7:
Iss.
4, Article 7.
Available at:
https://open.clemson.edu/jyd/vol7/iss4/7
