Promoting Healthy Exercise to Conscientious Christians

Physical inactivity (PI) in North America (NA) is associated with high levels of excess morbidity-mortality (Arraiz et al., 1992; Knight, 2012; Villeneuve et al., 1998) with significant decreases in morbidity-mortality predicted with increased physical activity (PA) in recent literature (del Pozo Cruz, et al., 2022; Fogelholm, 2010; Katzmarzyk & Mason, 2009; Peterson et al., 2014; Warburton & Bredin, 2017). The lower range of prevalence indicators of PI suggest that 47% of Americans (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], n.d.) and 51% of Canadians (Statistics Canada, 2021) do not reach the PA guidelines of 150 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) weekly. The upper end estimates point to approximately 80% of adults being too sedentary to gain health benefits (Piercy et al., 2018). Recent evidence analyzed by the US 2018 Physical Activity Guidelines Advisory Committee (US Department of Health and Human Services [HHS], 2018), based on extensive literature review, indicates strong PI associations with increased all-cause mortality. Also noteworthy were specifically increased incidences of: 9.9% for cardiovascular diseases; 6.5% for stroke; 2.2% for hypertension; and 5.9% for Type 2 diabetes. Increased incidences were also associated with cancer-related diseases (2.9% for bladder cancer; 3.6% for breast cancer; and 3.9% for colon cancer) (Katzmarzyk et al., 2022). The estimated healthcare costs attributable to PI in Canada were $2.1 billion (1999) and $2.4 billion (2009), the latter figure associated with indirect costs of $4.3 billion and total costs of $6.8 billion (Katzmarzyk et al., 2000). Given the importance of reducing mortality-morbidity, more effective Physical Activity (PA) interventions are important, and the recently observed stabilizations of PI levels suggest that novel methods must be explored (Ozemek et al., 2019). This study aims to provide a select sedentary subpopulation with a customized intervention hypothesized to increase their PA adoption. Novel recruiting methods are used to identify a target subpopulation (based on multiple characteristics) that can be contacted in multiple sections of North America. We will intervene online and rigorously test the theoretical formulations that identify the subpopulation and the customized intervention.

Physical inactivity (PI) in North America (NA) is associated with high levels of excess morbidity-mortality (Arraiz et al., 1992; Knight, 2012; Villeneuve et al., 1998) with significant decreases in morbidity-mortality predicted with increased physical activity (PA) in recent literature (del Pozo Cruz, et al., 2022; Fogelholm, 2010; Katzmarzyk & Mason, 2009; Peterson et al., 2014; Warburton & Bredin, 2017).

The lower range of prevalence indicators of PI suggest that 47% of Americans (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], n.d.) and 51% of Canadians (Statistics Canada, 2021) do not reach the PA guidelines of 150 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) weekly. The upper end estimates point to approximately 80% of adults being too sedentary to gain health benefits (Piercy et al., 2018).

Recent evidence analyzed by the US 2018 Physical Activity Guidelines Advisory Committee (US Department of Health and Human Services [HHS], 2018), based on extensive literature review, indicates strong PI associations with increased all-cause mortality. Also noteworthy were specifically increased incidences of: 9.9% for cardiovascular diseases; 6.5% for stroke; 2.2% for hypertension; and 5.9% for Type 2 diabetes. Increased incidences were also associated with cancer-related diseases (2.9% for bladder cancer; 3.6% for breast cancer; and 3.9% for colon cancer) (Katzmarzyk et al., 2022). The estimated healthcare costs attributable to PI in Canada were $2.1 billion (1999) and $2.4 billion (2009), the latter figure associated with indirect costs of $4.3 billion and total costs of $6.8 billion (Katzmarzyk et al., 2000).

Given the importance of reducing mortality-morbidity, more effective Physical Activity (PA) interventions are important, and the recently observed stabilizations of PI levels suggest that novel methods must be explored (Ozemek et al., 2019). This study aims to provide a select sedentary subpopulation with a customized intervention hypothesized to increase their PA adoption. Novel recruiting methods are used to identify a target subpopulation (based on multiple characteristics) that can be contacted in multiple sections of North America. We will intervene online and rigorously test the theoretical formulations that identify the subpopulation and the customized intervention.