Directionality of Self‐Regulation and Self‐Efficacy Within a Treatment Targeting Cardiovascular Exercise and Emotional Eating in Women: Interpretation and Application of Behavioral Theory

Because of the limited success at fostering sustained weight loss through behavioral changes, surgical and pharmaceutical interventions are increasingly relied upon. Better accommodating key constructs within health behavior-change theory might be necessary for improving success through behavioral means. Women with obesity (N = 73) participated in a 6-month theory-informed and community-based weight-loss program. They demonstrated significant within-group improvements in self-regulation and self-efficacy related to exercise and eating, dietary behaviors, cardiovascular exercise, and weight over 12 months. Paths from early changes in self-regulation, to early changes in behavior, to longer-term changes in self-efficacy and further behavioral changes were significant for both cardiovascular exercise and dietary behavior changes. Similar paths, but initiating from self-efficacy change, were not significant. Reductions in weight over both 6 months (-6.0%) and 12 months (-5.5%) were significantly predicted by the changes in cardiovascular exercise and dietary behaviors. Findings suggested that an initial emphasis on self-regulatory skill development will promote self-efficacy and weight-loss behaviors.