Health Action Planning – A Digitally Delivered Physical Activity Intervention

Introduction: Physical activity has well recorded benefits to health, both minimising risks of certain long term conditions, but also improving health and wellbeing. Despite the positive assets, engagement in physical activity is not widespread.
It is evident from previous literature that targeting perceived behavioural control to enhance control cognitions as well as bridging the intention behaviour gap through techniques of goal setting, and planning, is crucial in eliciting behavioural change. Three aspects of the literature however remain ambiguous. The factors noted, have been well documented and their use in face to face interventions shows favourable results. Their use in an online intervention has been less common and the results inconclusive. Secondly, it is not clear that practitioner support in online interventions is required. And finally, despite the acknowledged value of action and coping plans the content of plans has rarely been examined in the context of physical activity outcomes.