Foundations of OT Theory Presentation October 31, 2011 Sunita Singh & Sarah Jane Calub

1. Social Cognitive Theory and
Healthy Habit Changes
Sunita Singh and Sarah Jane Calub
October 31, 2011

2. PURPOSE
Examine the impact of the participation in a wellness
assignment on healthy habit changes in
pre-professional undergraduate students.

3. Health & Wellness
✤ Unhealthy lifestyles attribute 54% reduction in lifespan <
65 years
✤ Healthy lifestyles have greater impact than genetic factors
on our health as we age
✤ Promoting healthy lifestyles is critical role for OT
practitioners in health promotion and disease/disability
prevention (AOTA)
✤ Wellness = product of healthy lifestyles as fitness =
product of regular exercise
✤ Physical well-being includes physical, mental, and health
aspects of life

4. Research Questions
✤ What were the students’ perceptions of the effectiveness of
this assignment for increasing their understanding of their
own wellness?
✤ Supports and barriers for adherence to goals over the
semester and after the completion of the course?

5. Methods
✤ Students instructed during health & wellness course
✤ Students asked to complete assignment regarding goals for
improving wellness during and after completion of course
✤ Students completed follow-up q’s in subsequent semesters
✤ Results quantified
✤ Responses analyzed using Bandura’s
Social Cognitive Theory

6. Participants
58 students enrolled in an
undergraduate occupational
science health and wellness
course.
57 female; 1 male
55 white; 1 Hispanic; 2 AA
Ages 20 - 28

7. The Assignment
✤ Chose 3 - 5 goals to improve wellness over the semester
✤ Goals directed towards behaviors - not outcomes
✤ Completed wellness-self-assessments
✤ A paper describing results, wellness goals and rationales in
reference to how goals would be beneficial
✤ Assignment and outcomes were analyzed using social
cognitive theory
✤ 2 roles: clients/mentors; kept journals of experiences from
both perspectives
✤ Class discussions
✤ A second paper describing experiences

8. Results
✤ 100%believed they had improved
100%
understanding of their own wellness.
✤ 84% increased their understanding of
the client perspective in making
healthy behavior changes.
84%
✤ 96% increased their understanding of
therapist/mentor perspective in
supporting healthy behavior changes.
96%

9. Follow-Up:
✤ Students completed questionnaires 6 mo. and 1 yr after
completion of the course
✤ After 3 months:
✤ 95% were still working on at least one of their goals.
✤ 76% were still working on at least two goals.
✤ 22% were still working on three goals.
✤ After 1 year:
✤ 86% were still working on at least one goal
✤ 45% were still working on two goals
✤ 14% were still working on three goals.

10. Supports Identified
✤ Internal motivations of wanting to be healthy
✤ Seeing results, feeling better
✤ Behavior ➔ habit
✤ Enjoying the goal
✤ “I saw the other students sticking to the plan and
working on their goals. It reminded me that I needed to
constantly be working on my own goals.”
✤ Feeling supported by seeing the struggles of others.
✤ Having a mentor meant that they had to report their
personal progress and help each other problem solve.

11. Barriers Identified
✤ Internal issues of difficulty with time, changing routines, and
feeling stressed.
✤ Lack of outside structure, support, reinforcement of goals and
tracking made it difficult to maintain goals.

12. Social Cognitive Theory:
✤ Successful change in habits requires a
blend of 3 components:
✤ Personal (influence)
✤ Proxy (relies on others to act
on one’s behalf)
✤ Collective (exercised through
group action)
✤ Process of acting together on shared
goal or belief provides motivation to
succeed
✤ Self-efficacy (goals chosen)

13. Application to OT
✤ Study suggests value of using social
cognitive learning for supporting clients
in making healthy habit changes that will
impact health, well-being, and longevity
✤ Educating client about value of
identifying changes themselves
✤ Family’s/friends’ goals may conflict with
client’s goals

14. References
Bandura, A. (2002). Social cognitive theory in cultural context. Applied
Psychology: An International Review, 51(2), 269-290.
Hilton, C., Ackermann, A., & Smith, D. (2011). Healthy habit changes in pre-
professional college students: adherence, supports, and barriers. OTJR:
Occupation, Participation & Health, 31(2), 64-72. doi:
10.3928/15394492-20100325-01