Self‐efficacy and autonomous motivation are associated with lower sugar‐sweetened beverage consumption in low‐income overweight and obese mothers of young children

• Published in: Research in nursing & health Vol. 47; no. 5; pp. 506 - 512
• Main Authors: Jancsura, McKenzie K., Helsabeck, Nathan P., Militello, Lisa K., Chang, Mei‐Wei
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Wiley Subscription Services, Inc 01.10.2024
• Subjects: Adult; Child, Preschool; Childhood obesity; Consumption; Efficacy; Female; Humans; Intervention; Male; Mothers; Mothers - psychology; Mothers - statistics & numerical data; Motivation; Obesity; Obesity - psychology; Overweight; Overweight - psychology; Pediatric Obesity - psychology; Poverty - psychology; Poverty - statistics & numerical data; Self determination; Self Efficacy; self‐determination theory; Sugar; Sugar-Sweetened Beverages - statistics & numerical data; women; Young mothers; obesity; self‐determination theory; women
• ISSN: 0160-6891; 1098-240X; 1098-240X
• DOI: 10.1002/nur.22404

Sugar‐sweetened beverage (SSB) consumption is strongly associated with obesity. Autonomous motivation and self‐efficacy, key concepts of self‐determination theory, may influence SSB consumption. Low‐income mothers of young children experience disproportionate rates of obesity. Whether autonomous motivation and self‐efficacy are associated with SSB consumption in low‐income mothers of young children is unknown. This exploratory secondary data analysis explored whether autonomous motivation or self‐efficacy were associated with SBB consumption using data from a lifestyle intervention for low‐income, overweight or obese mothers with young children. Participants (N = 311) completed surveys assessing autonomous motivation, self‐efficacy, and SSB consumption at baseline, after the 16‐week intervention, and at 3‐month follow‐up. Using baseline data, we performed linear regression models to explore associations of self‐efficacy and autonomous motivation with SSB consumption. We also performed mixed effects models to explore whether autonomous motivation or self‐efficacy were associated with SSB consumption over time. At baseline, a one‐point increase in autonomous motivation and self‐efficacy were associated with 4.36 (p < 0.001) and 6.43 (p = 0.025) fewer ounces of SSB consumption per day, respectively. In longitudinal models, SSB consumption decreased over time. Change in SSB consumption was associated with self‐efficacy (B = −4.88; p = 0.015) and autonomous motivation (B = −2.29; p = 0.008). Our findings suggest self‐efficacy and autonomous motivation may influence SSB consumption among mothers of young children with overweight and obesity. Further investigation should explore if self‐efficacy and autonomous motivation have long‐term effects on SSB consumption.