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Social Movements and Health: The Benefits of Being Involved

Emley, Elizabeth A.
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=bgsu1490715716992475

Abstract Details

2017, Master of Arts (MA), Bowling Green State University, Psychology/Clinical.
Unhealthy lifestyle behaviors significantly contribute to poor health and obesity risk, which in turn impact chronic illness outcomes. Thus, improving individual health behaviors remains a vital target to improving overall well-being. A possible mechanism for improving health outcomes is to capitalize on the link between social movement involvement and overlapping health behaviors. Targeting social movement involvement may be a viable stealth intervention for health outcomes, utilizing intrinsic motivators to improve health without an explicit focus on changing health behavior. For the current study, two samples from the college population and the general population were recruited to participate in an online survey, which included measures of social movement involvement, social movement behaviors, and questionnaires on health outcomes. Results revealed that social movement-related behaviors mediated the relationship between social movement involvement and numerous health outcomes among both samples, particularly fruit and vegetable consumption, fiber intake, whole grain intake, and average daily MET minutes of physical activity in both samples. Additionally, no movement was significantly related to greater health indicators compared to the others in either sample. These findings suggest that behaviors associated with social movement involvement are an important mechanism in promoting health among social movement members. This research adds to existing literature on stealth interventions as a viable means of improving human health and social movements as a potential form of stealth intervention.
Dara Musher-Eizenman (Advisor)
Abby Braden (Committee Member)
Catherine Stein (Committee Member)
119 p.
Behavioral Psychology; Health; Psychology
social movements; social activism; stealth interventions; diet; physical activity; behavioral health

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Emley, E. A. (2017). Social Movements and Health: The Benefits of Being Involved [Master's thesis, Bowling Green State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=bgsu1490715716992475

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Emley, Elizabeth. Social Movements and Health: The Benefits of Being Involved. 2017. Bowling Green State University, Master's thesis. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=bgsu1490715716992475.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Emley, Elizabeth. "Social Movements and Health: The Benefits of Being Involved." Master's thesis, Bowling Green State University, 2017. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=bgsu1490715716992475

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

bgsu1490715716992475
1,262
© 2017, all rights reserved.
This open access ETD is published by Bowling Green State University and OhioLINK.