Effects of Self-efficacy on Health Behavior and Body Weight

Objective: Overweight and obesity is a major public health in the U.S. Self-efficacy plays a significant role in health behavior (exercise and diet) and lack of could contribute to obesity. Our purpose was to evaluate perceived self-efficacy as it relates to eating, exercise and BMI in individuals with overweight and obesity. Methods: 99 employees from 4 nursing-homes in Northeast U.S. participated, all with a body mass index (BMI)>25.0 kg/m2. Eating and exercise self-efficacy (Eat-SE, Ex-SE), Healthy Eating Scores (HES), and physical activity (PA) were assessed using questionnaire responses. Correlation and mediation analysis examined the influence of Eat-SE and Ex-SE on PA, HES and BMI. Results: Higher HES predicted higher Eat-SE (p=0.02) and in turn, a lower BMI (p=0.02). Increased frequencies of moderate and vigorous PA predicted higher Ex-SE (p=0.01, p=0.00). Moderate PA further predicted lower BMI (p=0.05). 44% of the total effect of vigorous PA on BMI was mediated by Ex-SE (p=0.01). Conclusion(s): Our models combining self-efficacy and behavioral variables captured variations in BMI in overweight and obese individuals. Future obesity interventions should incorporate improvement in self-efficacy for overcoming barriers to weight management.