PLoS ONE (Jan 2017)

Psychological determinants of physical activity across the life course: A "DEterminants of DIet and Physical ACtivity" (DEDIPAC) umbrella systematic literature review.

  • Cristina Cortis,
  • Anna Puggina,
  • Caterina Pesce,
  • Katina Aleksovska,
  • Christoph Buck,
  • Con Burns,
  • Greet Cardon,
  • Angela Carlin,
  • Chantal Simon,
  • Donatella Ciarapica,
  • Giancarlo Condello,
  • Tara Coppinger,
  • Sara D'Haese,
  • Marieke De Craemer,
  • Andrea Di Blasio,
  • Sylvia Hansen,
  • Licia Iacoviello,
  • Johann Issartel,
  • Pascal Izzicupo,
  • Lina Jaeschke,
  • Martina Kanning,
  • Aileen Kennedy,
  • Fiona Chun Man Ling,
  • Agnes Luzak,
  • Giorgio Napolitano,
  • Julie-Anne Nazare,
  • Grainne O'Donoghue,
  • Camille Perchoux,
  • Tobias Pischon,
  • Angela Polito,
  • Alessandra Sannella,
  • Holger Schulz,
  • Rhoda Sohun,
  • Astrid Steinbrecher,
  • Wolfgang Schlicht,
  • Walter Ricciardi,
  • Loriana Castellani,
  • Ciaran MacDonncha,
  • Laura Capranica,
  • Stefania Boccia

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0182709
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 12, no. 8
p. e0182709

Abstract

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Low levels of physical activity (PA) are reported to contribute to the occurrence of non-communicable diseases over the life course. Although psychological factors have been identified as an important category concerning PA behavior, knowledge on psychological determinants of PA is still inconclusive. Therefore, the aim of this umbrella systematic literature review (SLR) was to summarize and synthesize the scientific evidence on psychological determinants of PA behavior across the life course. A systematic online search was conducted on MEDLINE, ISI Web of Science, Scopus, and SPORTDiscus databases. The search was limited to studies published in English from January 2004 to April 2016. SLRs and meta-analyses (MAs) of observational studies investigating the association of psychological variables and PA were considered eligible. Extracted data were evaluated based on importance of determinants, strength of evidence, and methodological quality. The full protocol is available from PROSPERO (Record ID: CRD42015010616). Twenty reviews (14 SLRs and 6 MAs), mostly of moderate methodological quality, were found eligible. Convincing evidence was found for self-efficacy (positive association with PA) in children and adolescents, and stress (negative association with PA) regardless of age. Most of the evidence revealing an association between psychological determinants and PA is probable and limited, mainly due to differences in the definition of PA and of psychological determinants across reviews. Thus, scholars are urged to reach a consensus on clear definitions of relevant psychological determinants of PA, subsuming cultural biases and allowing the possibility to obtain clear interpretations and generalizability of findings. Finally, most psychological determinants should be considered within a larger framework of other multi-level determinants that may interact or mediate some of the effects.