Walk a Mile: Exploring cause-based charity event participation as a catalyst for increasing physical activity behavior

Despite the known benefits of physical activity (PA), more than half of U.S. adults do not meet the American College of Sports Medicine’s PA recommendations for health, often resulting in negative health outcomes. Developing programming that increases motivation for PA participation is critical for healthcare professionals to combat physical inactivity. Previous research has demonstrated that framing disease-based PA charity fundraising events as “helping a cause” improved motivation for PA due to the individual’s emotional connection to the cause. There is currently no congruent research on motivation for participation in cause-based charity events. Behavioral economics theory posits that cognitive, emotional, and social factors lead to decisions that deviate from rational choice and may help explain increased motivation for participation in PA-based charity events of all types. Therefore, the purpose of this pilot research was to examine a cause-based PA charity event using the lens of behavioral economics to understand an individual’s motivation for participation. We collected data from 44 participants during an in-person, 1-mile charity walking event that raised funds and awareness about domestic violence. Results indicated a correlation between motivation to participate and making a difference for the cause (<em>r</em> = .413, <em>p</em> < .05); additionally, more than half of the participants reported raising money/awareness about domestic violence as the most important reason they participated (<em>n =</em> 23, 52.3%). These results suggest that cause-based charity events elicit emotional connections that positively influence motivation for PA and, therefore, may be beneficial as a strategy for promoting long-term PA participation. Future research on PA programming and behavior change should explore using both cause-based and disease-based charity events that are meaningful to the individual to increase PA motivation and facilitate PA participation.