4. Discussion
obesity, PA behavior, diabetes mellitus, clotting abnormalities, weight gain, depression
OBESITY, HYPERLIPIDEMIA, DISEASE, DIABETES MELLITUS, CHRONIC DISEASES, SECONDARY, INSULIN RESISTANCE, CORONARY HEART DISEASES, HYPERTENSION, DISEASES
The objective of this study was to examine the effect of a multi methods (including individualized consultation, text messages reminders and face book interaction) based on behavioral intervention on increasing PA levels among students adults at Jordanian Universities. The secondary aims were to assess the behavioral intervention’s effectiveness for reducing body mass index (BMI) and blood pressure, in addition to enhancing self-efficacy during physical activity. This physical activity-based behavioral intervention was successful in improving PA levels among adults, as well as assisting them with reaching the internationally recommended levels of daily PA, which they benefit from in terms of improvements to their health and the prevention of disease risk factors (The characteristics of goal setting adopted by the participants in this intervention were underpinned by theory-based outcomes, which facilitated participants’ successful establishment of specific, personalized attainable goals, as well as the self-efficacy to attain them. In previous PA interventions among adults, there has been insufficient application of specific goals (The self-monitoring strategy involved using a pedometer bracelet, which is an effective method for motivating students’ strengthening of their PA levels. This is consistent with previous interventions among healthy adults and college students (The individualized consultations delivered as part of this intervention included progress feedback, in addition to tailored advice for participants with regards to establishing their own goals, as well as addressing their personal barriers to exercise. Studies involving adult participants have similarly evidenced how individualized, personalized consultations delivering behavioral change strategies may successfully enhance physical activity levels (Theory-based intervention is a significant variable linked to an intervention’s success. The theory guides the intervention through applying health behavior determinants. Evidence shows that insufficient knowledge concerning PA’s significance in preventing the occurrence of diseases, as well as lack of knowledge of the guidelines pertaining to recommended PA levels, is linked to a lack of PA among adults (Enhancing patients’ self-efficacy via goal setting was implemented through teaching the participants to establish attainable goals, beginning with small behavioral changes. Such goals can contribute to strengthening participants’ confidence in engaging in PA, leading them to implement further significant changes through establishing more challenging goals. This is confirmed by participants who reported during the telephone calls that they had initiated change through setting small goals, including a short duration of PA which enabled them to set more challenging goals, including a longer duration of PA. This accords with previous findings that attaining goals strengthens self-efficacy, which subsequently stimulates the establishment of higher goals.This intervention’s effect in terms of decreasing participants’ body weight and BMI is consistent with extant literature results. Those students who decreased their body weight in this research might improve their health through mitigating the detrimental consequences of weight gain, with regards to the development of risk factors linked to the incidence of chronic diseases such as hypertension, diabetes mellitus and coronary heart diseases. It has been established that obesity has a major negative effect on health due to its contribution to the occurrence of diseases through numerous risk factors such as hypertension, hyperlipidemia, insulin resistance, clotting abnormalities and depression (This intervention is characterized by its applicability and accessibility to participants. It comprises of strengthening physical activity levels via participation in regular walking, which increases individuals’ step counts as a method that may be straightforwardly accessed and applied by the students. Through following the goal setting strategy, participants can engage in walking activities by integrating them into their routine activity, for example when travelling to university or doing specific exercises. One review reported that workplace counseling has an effect on increasing people’s PA through encouraging the behavior of walking to work [active travel, (Interestingly, male students showed higher PA levels than female students. Differences in PA levels between genders has been widely studied and research constantly proposed males participate have higher levels of PA compared to females (This study cannot confirm which strategy of this multi components based intervention is the main influencer in increasing PA levels, such as telephone consultations, text messages reminders and behavioral change strategies (goal setting, self-monitoring, feedback). Future studies may investigate the most significant behavioral change strategy which increases PA levels to apply it in PA based behavioral interventions. However, increased self-efficacy of participants is important outcome as the intervention aimed to improve participant’s self-efficacy for exercise to help them maintaining PA behavior over time. This emphasizes the success of applying multi components based intervention.It is significant to evaluate this intervention’s efficacy in terms of its ability to uphold participants’ long-term physical activity, however, the participants expressed no willingness for further follow-up in the form of contact via telephone and text messages, due to their travelling and study issues. Measuring PA interventions’ efficacy over the long term is a challenging step in the research area (