Relationship Between Exercise Behavior Change, Physical Activity Levels and Healthy Eating Attitudes in Individuals Using Mobile Phone Applications

Abstract

This study aimed to examine exercise behavior change, physical activity levels and attitudes toward healthy eating among individuals who perform physical activity using HisApp mobile phone application. The present study was conducted with 246 participants (144 male and 102 female) using the HisApp application (mobile application of the Turkish Sport for All Federation). The weight, height, levels of physical activity and body mass index of the participants were recorded. An exercise behavior changes questionnaire, and a healthy nutrition attitude scale were administered to the participants through Google online survey. Findings showed that exercise behavior changes sub-dimensions and Health Attitude Scale sub-dimensions have a positive correlation. Physical activity positively affects healthy eating attitude sub-dimensions, while no effect was observed on knowledge about nutrition, feelings about nutrition, and malnutrition. The stages of exercise behavior change were related to the attitude scale toward healthy eating. There was a significant positive correlation between physical activity level and positive nutrition variables and a significantly negative correlation with malnutrition (p<0.05). This research concluded that positive attitudes towards healthy eating and encouraging people to make healthier choices can be attributed to a combination of education, accessibility, social norms, individual variables, and environmental factors. Additionally, it was found that individuals using the HisApp physical activity mobile application on their phones showed positive improvements in exercise behavior changes.

Keywords

• Mobile phone application
• Exercise behavior change
• Physical activity
• Nutrition

Relationship Between Exercise Behavior Change, Physical Activity Levels and Healthy Eating Attitudes in Individuals Using Mobile Phone Applications

Öz

Bu çalışma, HisApp cep telefonu uygulamasını kullanarak fiziksel aktivite gerçekleştiren bireylerde egzersiz davranış değişikliğini, fiziksel aktivite düzeylerini ve sağlıklı beslenmeye yönelik tutumlarını incelemeyi amaçlamıştır. Bu çalışma HisApp uygulaması (Türkiye Herkes İçin Spor Federasyonu mobil uygulaması) kullanılarak 246 katılımcı (144 erkek ve 102 kadın) ile gerçekleştirilmiştir. Katılımcıların boy, kilo, vücut kütle indeksi ve fiziksel aktivite düzeyleri kaydedildi. Katılımcılara Google çevrimiçi anketi aracılığıyla egzersiz davranış değişikliği anketi ve sağlıklı beslenme tutum ölçeği uygulandı. Sonuçlar, egzersiz davranış değişikliği alt boyutları ile Sağlık Tutum Ölçeği alt boyutları arasında pozitif korelasyon olduğunu göstermiştir. Fiziksel aktivite sağlıklı beslenme tutumu alt boyutlarını olumlu yönde etkilerken, beslenme ile ilgili bilgi, beslenme ile ilgili duygular ve malnütrisyon üzerinde herhangi bir etki gözlenmemiştir. Egzersiz davranış değişikliğinin aşamaları, sağlıklı beslenmeye yönelik tutum ölçeği ile ilişkilendirilmiştir. Fiziksel aktivite düzeyi ile pozitif beslenme değişkeni arasında pozitif yönde anlamlı, malnütrisyon ile negatif yönde anlamlı korelasyon vardı (p<0.05). Sağlıklı beslenmeye ilişkin olumlu tutumlar ve insanların daha sağlıklı seçimler yapmaya teşvik edilmesi, eğitim, erişilebilirlik, sosyal normlar, bireysel değişkenler ve çevresel faktörlerin bir kombinasyonuna bağlanabilir. Cep telefonunda HisApp fiziksel aktivite mobil uygulamasını kullanan bireylerin egzersiz davranış değişikliklerinin olumlu yönde geliştiği söylenebilir.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Mobile phone application
• Exercise behavior change
• Physical activity
• Nutrition.

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