Do Worry and Brooding Predict Health Behaviors? A Daily Diary Investigation

A Prestwich,D B O’Connor,F Clancy

doi:10.1007/s12529-020-09898-1

A Prestwich, D B O’Connor + Show 1 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1007/s12529-020-09898-1

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Abstract

BackgroundMeta-analyses have reported associations between perseverative cognition (both worry and brooding) and increased engagement in health-risk behaviors, poorer sleep, and poorer physiological health outcomes.MethodUsing a daily diary design, this study investigated the within- and between-person relationships between state and trait perseverative cognition and health behaviors (eating behavior, physical activity, alcohol consumption, and sleep) both cross-sectionally and prospectively. Participants (n = 273, 93% students, Mage = 20.2, SD = 4.11, 93% female) completed morning and evening diaries across 7 consecutive days.ResultsMultilevel modeling analyses revealed that, cross-sectionally, higher levels of state worry were associated with more time spent sitting and higher levels of state brooding predicted less daily walking.ConclusionWorry and brooding may represent useful intervention targets for improving inactivity and walking levels, respectively.

Highlights

It is well established that stress can impact health directly through autonomic and neuroendocrine processes and, indirectly, by influencing health behaviors
Either (1) perseverative cognition the previous evening was added as the predictor of sleep outcomes or other health behavior outcomes, with trait perseverative cognition variables added as moderators, or (2) health behaviors were added as predictors of perseverative cognition, without moderating variables as there was no theoretical justification to test cross-level interactions in these analyses
Worry was associated with more minutes spent sitting, β10 = 12.99, p = 0.001, and daily brooding was associated with fewer minutes of daily walking, β10 = − 6.85, p < 0.001

Summary

Introduction

It is well established that stress can impact health directly through autonomic and neuroendocrine processes and, indirectly, by influencing health behaviors. Supports associations between stress and poorer sleep outcomes [5], greater alcohol consumption [6, 7], unhealthy eating behaviors in adults and children [8,9,10,11,12], and less physical activity [13] These behaviors have been linked with poorer health outcomes including increased rates of morbidity and mortality [14,15,16,17]. Meta-analyses have reported associations between perseverative cognition (both worry and brooding) and increased engagement in health-risk behaviors, poorer sleep, and poorer physiological health outcomes.

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