Proximal and Distal Antecedents of Behaviour Change Maintenance
Date
2022
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg
Abstract
The study sought to determine the proximal and distal factors of behaviour change maintenance among an understudied population of alcohol quitters. It also sought to determine the predictors of sobriety longevity and identify psychographic clusters within alcohol quit maintenance behaviour. This study was motivated by the lack of attention on this population and the high relapse rate among alcohol quitters. A quantitative method adopted a cross-sectional data collection time frame with a purposive sampling technique, which saw a total sample size of 501 former alcohol consumers participating in the study through a professional data collection firm. After data cleaning and robustness checks, the main objective was executed using a structural equation modeling technique, the second objective was answered using a logit analysis, and the last objective was addressed using k-means clustering and optimal scaling techniques using the Activity, Interest, and Opinion (AIO) framework. Findings from the study show that six (6) proximal factors, social and situational influence, had an indirect positive effect on Behaviour
Change Maintenance (BCM), and change initiation had a significant positive effect on BCM. Both self-regulation and self-efficacy had a significant positive effect on BCM. BCM had a significant positive effect on the ease of change adaptation. Regarding moderation and mediation, the longevity of sobriety fully moderated the relationship between change initiation and BCM, while change initiation partially mediated the proximal and distal factors' relationships with BCM. Two (2) distal factors; pricing had a direct positive effect on change initiation, and placements also had a significant positive effect. The results of the second objective identified the married, former alcoholics, and black Africans as more likely to achieve longevity of sobriety, while the last objective found ten (10) clusters in alcohol quit behaviour maintenance; people socialised with on a regular basis had: "unique and authentic" and "good v looking and honest"; relationship interest had: "long term and growth potential relationship" and "spending time with someone with shared interest"; ingredients of good relationship had: "physicality, spirituality and intellectuality" and "emotionality"; party activities had: "caring for friends and attention seeking" and "having fun with caution"; and outing dressing had: "readiness for a photo and compliments" and "neatly dressed." Based on the findings, the study recommends that practitioners in the behaviour change discipline should use the proximal factors as a basis for triggering change initiation, segment, target, and position the BCM product using these Activity-Interest clusters identified in this study and finally encourage the strong social network ties among audience whiles using situational influence nudges to reinforce abstinence. Regarding the theoretical implications of the findings, the study shows how the ecological system theory can be used to predict BCM through the stages of change model. Change initiation does not play a total mediation role between proximal and distal factors' relationship with BCM. Ease of change adaptation is a reliable outcome of BCM, contributing to the extension of the stages of change model. Policy makers are equally recommended to implement the legislative framework on alcohol marketing activities regulation to reduce the impact of alcohol marketing activities on BCM
Description
This thesis is presented in partial fulfillment of the Doctor of Philosophy in Management degree in the Faculty of Commerce, Law, and Management, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2022
Keywords
Behaviour change maintenance, Proximal, Distal antecedents, De-marketing alcohol, Sobriety longevity, Psychographic segmentation, UCTD
Citation
Ameyibor, Leeford Edem Kojo. (2022). Proximal and Distal Antecedents of Behaviour Change Maintenance [PhD thesis, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg]. WireDSpace.https://hdl.handle.net/10539/40073