Influence of Self-Efficacy on Health Behaviors Among Women with Overweight and Obesity during the COVID-19 Pandemic
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Date
2022-05
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The Ohio State University
Abstract
This study was designed to evaluate the relationship between self-efficacy and health behavior change during the COVID-19 pandemic. Specifically, self-efficacy was evaluated as a variable that could be positively related to health-promoting behaviors in adults with overweight and obesity. Data were collected via an online self-report survey of 250 women, over the age of 18, with a Body Mass Index (BMI) greater or equal to 25, indicating overweight or obese status. The survey included multiple self-report measures providing evaluation of eating self-efficacy, exercise self-efficacy, COVID-19 impact, coping strategies, and diet and exercise behavior. Qualitative data regarding health behavior (exercise and diet) was coded to reflect the degree of change during the prior three months. Analyses indicated that eating self-efficacy was not correlated with diet behavior change (r=0.057, p=0.370), but increased exercise self-efficacy was correlated with increased exercise behavior (r=0.235, p<0.002). Also, BMI moderated the relationship between eating self-efficacy and three-month weight change, indicating the positive relationship between eating self-efficacy and weight loss was greater among women with higher BMI (t=-2.24, p=0.026). These findings imply that higher exercise self-efficacy beliefs were associated with positive behavior change despite the negative effects of the pandemic, especially among women with higher BMI. Further investigations exploring factors contributing to enhanced self-efficacy could help to establish the potential success of interventions targeting health-promoting behaviors among those with obesity.