Enhancing daily action control to promote healthy eating: An ecological momentary intervention

Abstract

Background: Healthy eating is a major behavioural factor to prevent morbidity. Self-monitoring has been shown to effectively promote healthy eating. These effects may be enhanced by targeting further action control components: awareness of standards, and regulatory effort. This paper tested this for unhealthy snack consumption. Methods: N=190 young adults were randomly allocated to a control condition or to one of two action control conditions: self-monitoring (photographic snack diary) vs. self-monitoring plus action control text messages. Unhealthy snack consumption and self-reported action control were assessed at baseline and at 1-week follow-up. Findings: The results indicated a significant decrease in unhealthy snack consumption of self-monitoring compared to the control (d=0.32, p=.044). This effect was mediated by an increase in self-reported action control. Contrary to our hypotheses, however, targeting additional action control components by text messages did not increase the effects of self-monitoring. Discussion: This study confirmed the beneficial effects of self-monitoring to promote healthy eating. Behaviour change occurred by increasing action control. Perhaps a longer period of enhancing momentary action control would add to the effects of the photographic diary.