Abstract
Objectives
This study examined daily associations between experiencing health-related social control (persuasion and pressure) from a close other and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA), smoking abstinence, reactance-related behaviours (oppositional behaviour), and positive and negative affect. Additionally, we investigated whether daily and person-mean preference for self-reliance moderated these associations.
Design
A secondary analysis of two 21-day daily-diary studies was conducted: one tracked MVPA in patients after cardiac rehabilitation (n = 137), and another investigated adults’ attempts to quit smoking (n = 71).
Methods
Participants completed daily questionnaires. Minutes of MVPA were measured using hip-worn accelerometers, and smoking abstinence was assessed dichotomously with carbon monoxide monitors. Bayesian multilevel models tested within-person effects.
Results
Across both studies, higher daily pressure was linked to increased odds of above-average reactance-related behaviours. Pressure was further unfavourably associated with MVPA and affect in the cardiac rehabilitation sample, but unrelated to smoking abstinence and affect in the smoking cessation study. Daily persuasion only showed a small favourable association with positive affect in the smoking cessation sample. However, exploratory moderation analyses indicated it might be more effective for improving health behaviour when coming from a romantic partner. Neither daily nor person-mean preference for self-reliance moderated any associations, but the latter displayed unfavourable associations with affect and reactance-related behaviour in the smoking cessation study.
Conclusions
Daily pressure appears consistently counterproductive. Associations for persuasion may be more nuanced, potentially shaped by factors like the message source. Although preference for self-reliance did not moderate any associations, its unfavourable direct associations warrant further investigation.