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Objectives: The aim of this study was to examine the temporal dynamics of multiple health behaviours (physical activity, alcohol consumption, healthy eating, cigarette consumption, recreational drug use, vaping), and pandemic‐related health behaviours (e.g., hand washing, physical distancing) using network psychometrics. Design: The International COVID‐19 Awareness and Responses Evaluation (iCARE) study is an international multi‐wave observational cohort study of public awareness, attitudes, and responses to public health policies implemented to reduce the spread of COVID‐19 on people around the world. A sub‐sample of longitudinal data from Canadians (n = 254) was analysed across four waves (February–July 2020). Methods: We used temporal network models to fit temporal networks, contemporaneous networks, and between‐subject networks from items within the iCARE survey. Results: Positive temporal associations were observed between physical activity and healthy eating, and a bidirectional relationship was evident between outdoor mask use and vaping. A contemporaneous network revealed positive associations between consumption behaviours (vaping, cigarette use, alcohol use, and recreational drug use), and negative associations between physical activity and drug use, and healthy eating and cigarette use. Conclusions: Health behaviours are interconnected and can be modelled as networks or behavioural systems. The application of temporal network analysis to the study of multiple health behaviours is well suited to address key research questions in the field such as 'how do multiple health behaviours co‐vary with one another over time'. Future research using time series data and measuring affective and cognitive mediators of behaviour, in addition to health behaviours, has the potential to contribute valuable hypothesis‐generating insights. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: The United Nations recognize the importance of balancing the needs of people and the planetary systems on which human health relies. This paper investigates the role that climate change has on human health via its influence on climate anxiety. Design: We conducted an intensive longitudinal study. Methods: Participants reported levels of climate anxiety, generalized anxiety and an array of health behaviours at 20 consecutive time points, 2 weeks apart. Results: A network analysis shows climate anxiety and generalized anxiety not to covary, and higher levels of climate anxiety not to covary with health behaviours, except for higher levels of alcohol consumption at the within‐participant level. Generalized anxiety showed completely distinct patterns of covariation with health behaviours compared with climate anxiety. Conclusions: Our findings imply that climate anxiety, as conceptualized and measured in the current study, is not in itself functionally impairing in terms of associations with unhealthy behaviours, and is distinct from generalized anxiety. The results also imply that interventions to induce anxiety about the climate might not always have significant impacts on health and well‐being. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Procrastination is a common form of self‐regulation failure that a growing evidence base suggests can confer risk for poor health outcomes, especially when it becomes habitual. However, the proposed linkages of chronic procrastination to health outcomes have not been tested over time or accounted for the contributions of higher‐order personality factors linked to both chronic procrastination and health‐related outcomes. We addressed these issues by examining the role of chronic procrastination in health outcomes over time in which the hypothesized links of procrastination to health problems operate via stress and health behaviours. Design: Three‐wave longitudinal study with 1‐month intervals. Methods: Participants (N = 379) completed measures of trait procrastination at Time 1, and measures of health behaviours, stress and health problems at each time point, in a lab setting. Results: Procrastination and the health variables were inter‐related in the expected directions across the three assessments. Chronic procrastination was positively associated with stress and negatively with health behaviours at each time point. Path analysis testing a cross‐lagged longitudinal mediation model found an indirect relationship operating between procrastination and health problems via stress, after accounting for the contributions of conscientiousness and neuroticism. Conclusions: This research extends previous work by demonstrating that the links between chronic procrastination and poor health are accounted for mainly by higher stress, after accounting for other key traits, and that these associations are robust over time. The findings are discussed in terms of the importance of addressing habitual self‐regulation failure for improving health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Vaccine hesitancy is a growing concern and threat to public health. This research will begin to examine the relative influence of relevant psychological, social, and situational factors on intent to engage with a hypothetical COVID‐19 vaccine among key workers and non‐key workers. Design: Cross‐sectional. Methods: The study utilized a sample of UK adults who completed the 1‐month follow‐up of The COVID‐19 Psychological Wellbeing Study during April/May 2020 and indicated having not been previously diagnosed with COVID‐19 (key workers n = 584; not key workers n = 1,021). These groups were compared in relation to their intentions to vaccinate, perceived risk of infection, and symptom severity. Binary logistic regression was used to examine predictors of vaccine hesitancy. Results: Overall, 74.2% of the sample (76.2% key workers, 73.1% non‐key workers) indicated they would accept a COVID‐19 vaccine in future. Key workers (in particular health and social care workers) had a higher perceived risk of becoming infected in the coming months. For key workers, being female and perceiving oneself as having relatively low infection risk in the next 6 months was associated with increased likelihood of vaccine hesitancy. For non‐key workers, however, being aged 25–54, having a low or average income and not knowing someone diagnosed with COVID‐19 were associated with hesitancy. Conclusions: The proportion of individuals willing to accept a vaccine is encouraging but there is much room for improvement. Given the unique predictors of vaccine hesitancy in each group, public health campaigns may benefit from targeted messaging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To provide baseline cohort descriptives and assess change in health behaviours since the UK COVID‐19 lockdown. Design: A prospective cohort (N = 1,044) of people recruited online, purposively targeting vulnerable populations. Methods: After a baseline survey (April 2020), participants completed 3 months of daily ecological momentary assessments (EMA). Dietary, physical activity, alcohol, smoking, vaping and substance use behaviours collected retrospectively for the pre‐COVID‐19 period were compared with daily EMA surveys over the first 30 days during early lockdown. Predictors of behaviour change were assessed using multivariable regression models. Results: 30% of the cohort had a COVID‐19 at risk health condition, 37% were classed as deprived and 6% self‐reported a mental health condition. Relative to pre‐pandemic levels, participants ate almost one portion of fruit and vegetables less per day (vegetables mean difference −0.33, 95% CI −0.40, −0.25; fruit −0.57, 95% CI −0.64, −0.50), but showed no change in high sugar portions per day (−0.03, 95% CI −0.12, 0.06). Participants spent half a day less per week doing ≥30 min of moderate to vigorous physical activity (−0.57, 95% CI −0.73, −0.40) but slightly increased days of strength training (0.21, 95% CI 0.09, 0.34), increased alcohol intake (AUDIT‐C score change 0.25, 95% CI 0.13, 0.37), though did not change smoking, vaping or substance use behaviour. Worsening health behaviour change was associated with being younger, female and higher body mass index. Conclusions: The cohort reported worsening health behaviours during early lockdown. Longer term changes will be investigated using further waves of data collection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives This study explored how health behaviours were supported and changed in people with severe mental illness by primary health care professionals trained in delivering behaviour change techniques (BCTs) within a cardiovascular disease risk reducing intervention. Design Secondary qualitative analysis of 30 staff and patient interviews. Methods We mapped coded data to the BCT Taxonomy (version 1) to identify BCT application. Thematic analysis was conducted to explore the barriers and facilitators of supporting and changing health behaviours. Themes were then interpreted using the Capability, Opportunity, Motivation, and Behaviour model to gain greater explanation behind the processes. Results Twenty BCTs were identified. Staff and patients perceived that health behaviours were commonly affected by both automatic and reflective motivation, sometimes in turn affected by psychological capability, social, and physical opportunity. Staff and patients suggested that motivation was enhanced by both patient and staff ability to observe health benefits, in some cases patients' health knowledge, mental health status, and social support networks. It was suggested that engaging in/sustaining healthy behaviours was influenced by physical opportunities to engrain behaviours into routine. Conclusions According to staff and patients, health behaviour change in this population was driven by complex processes. It was suggested that capability, opportunity, and motivation were in some cases enhanced by BCTs, but variable. Behaviour change may be optimized by individualized behavioural assessments, identifying drivers of behaviour and applying a range of BCTs may help to target individual needs. Patient peer-led approaches, techniques to encourage awareness of visible success, and normalizing health behaviours may increase behaviour change. Statement of contribution What is already known on this subject? Poorer health behaviours may contribute to early mortality rates in people with severe mental illness. Health care professionals are encouraged to target the uptake of healthy behaviours, but there is limited guidance on how. The processes that cause or inhibit health behaviour change within interventions that use behaviour change techniques by health care practitioners are unclear. What does the study add? Staff and patients suggested that behaviour change techniques (BCTs) in some cases increased capability, opportunity, and motivation to engage in healthy behaviours, but in other cases had variable success. Staff and patients reported that in some cases, motivation impacted health behaviour change and was in turn affected by psychological capability, social, and physical opportunity. Individualized behavioural assessments, flexible approaches to BCT application, involvement from patient peer support and different ways of targeting patient motivation may help to increase healthy behaviour changes in this population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Cardiac rehabilitation (CR) is considered the recommended secondary prevention treatment for cardiovascular diseases (CVD), in terms of health behaviours and, secondarily, better cardiac outcomes promotion. However, the role of psychiatric and psychosomatic distress on the efficacy of CR is unclear. This research aimed to evaluate the impact of CR on unhealthy behaviour modification and cardiac course, considering the moderating role of depression, anxiety, and psychosomatic syndromes.Design: A longitudinal design between and within groups was employed. The assessment was repeated four times: at admission to CR (T1), at discharge (T2), 6 (T3) and 12 months following CR completion (T4).Method: One hundred and eight patients undergoing CR versus 85 patients with CVD not referred to CR, underwent psychiatric, psychosomatic, and health behaviour assessment. The assessment included the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV (depression and anxiety), the interview based on Diagnostic Criteria for Psychosomatic Research, GOSPEL Study questionnaire (health behaviours), Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, and 8-item Morisky Medication Adherence Scale.Results: Cardiac rehabilitation was associated with maintenance of physical activity, improvement of behavioural aspects related to food consumption, stress management, and sleep quality. On the contrary, CR was not associated with weight loss, healthy diet, and medication adherence. Depression and psychosomatic syndromes seem to moderate the modification of specific health-related behaviours (physical activity, behavioural aspects of food consumption, stress management, and pharmacological adherence).Conclusion: In CR settings, an integrated assessment including both psychiatric and psychosomatic syndromes is needed to address psychological factors associated with unhealthy behaviour modification. Statement of contribution What is already known on this subject? Cardiac rehabilitation (CR) is considered a class 1A treatment recommendation and the most cost-effective model of secondary prevention to reduce cardiovascular events. There is evidence about the association between psychological distress and both unhealthy behaviour and cardiac course. Depression and psychosomatic distress, such as type A behaviour and demoralization, are frequently associated with CVD course. However, the role of psychiatric and psychosomatic distress in CR is not well known. What does this study add? CR exerted a protective effect on physical activity and a positive effect on eating behaviour, stress management, and quality of sleep. CR did not show any particular effect on smoking, overweight/obesity, dietary habits, medication adherence, and patients' 1-year survival. Findings from this study suggest the importance to consider specific psychological and psychosomatic aspects in affecting lifestyle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]