Cecilie Thøgersen-Ntoumani

Curtin University · School of Psychology and Speech Pathology

Issue Addressed Australian adults transitioning into retirement aged 55–75 years (> 50%) do not meet the World Health Organization recommendation of physical activity (PA). One potential strategy to promote PA is through vigorous intermittent lifestyle physical activity (VILPA). This study aimed to investigate barriers and facilitators from adults...

Purpose Body image concerns and disordered eating are common among young adults. Previous research has shown that self-compassion is associated with less disordered eating and greater body appreciation. However, the majority of this research has examined between-person associations. The aim of this study was to examine dynamic within-person associa...

Background Vigorous intermittent lifestyle physical activity (VILPA) refers to brief bouts of intense physical activity embedded into daily life. Objective To examine sex differences in the dose–response association of VILPA with major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) and its subtypes. Methods Using multivariable-adjusted cubic splines, we ex...

Introduction To minimise adverse health events among older adults, physical activity (PA) is considered one of the most fundamental and effective forms of lifestyle. Therefore, an urgent effort to promote a physically active lifestyle among our older adults is needed, in which walking could be a better choice, especially for mass promotion. Besides...

The self-concordance model (SCM) examines the entire sequence from goal inception to attainment and presents a framework for how outcomes vary based on the quality of motivation for goal striving. The first aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to synthesize a rich literature on the topic spanning over 25 years and present a cohesive...

Purpose: Vigorous intermittent lifestyle physical activity (VILPA) are bursts of incidental vigorous activity that occur during day-to-day activities outside of the exercise-domain. VILPA has shown promise in lowering risk of mortality and chronic disease. However, there is an absence of an empirically derived definition. Using physiological and e...

Background Most adults fail to meet the moderate to vigorous physical activity-based recommendations needed to maintain or improve health. Vigorous Intermittent Lifestyle Physical Activity (VILPA) refers to short (1–2 min) high-intensity activities that are integrated into activities of daily living. VILPA has shown strong potential to improve heal...

Background Most adults fail to meet the moderate to vigorous physical activity-based recommendations needed to maintain or improve health. Vigorous Intermittent Lifestyle Physical Activity (VILPA) refers to short (1-2 mins) high-intensity activities that are integrated into activities of daily living. VILPA has shown strong potential to improve hea...

Despite the well-known benefits of physical activity, less than half of adults aged 55–75 years participate in sufficient physical activity. Short bouts of vigorous intermittent lifestyle physical activity (VILPA) accumulated throughout the day can contribute toward the recommended volume of physical activity. A rich characterization of the barrier...

Issues Addressed We aimed to identify latent health behaviour profiles of young adults and examine their associations with physical and mental health outcomes. We also characterised the profiles by socio‐demographic characteristics. Methods Data were collected between 2012 and 2014. Participants ( N = 476) were young adults ( M age [SD] = 22.1 [.5...

Importance: Vigorous physical activity is a time-efficient and potent preventive intervention for major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE), although longer traditional exercise sessions are unappealing or inaccessible to most adults. Objective: We examined the dose-response associations of device-measured vigorous intermittent lifestyle physical...

Teachers’ behavior is a key factor that influences students’ motivation. Many theoretical models have tried to explain this influence, with one of the most thoroughly researched being self-determination theory (SDT). We used a Delphi method to create a classification of teacher behaviors consistent with SDT. This is useful because SDT-based interve...

There is a growing need to identify acceptable and feasible opportunities to engage adults over 35 years in physical activity. Walking sports may be a potential means to engage adults in sport; however, there is limited evidence regarding appeal and feasibility to support its implementation and delivery. Using a two‐step mixed‐methods approach, we...

In spite of the large-scale growth of walking sport (WS) programmes globally, limited research has explored the experiences of the key stakeholders involved in such programmes (i.e. decision-makers, facilitators, and players). We aimed to explore stakeholder experiences of community-based WS programmes to better understand the appeal of such sport...

If you enter the terms “motivation” and “sport” into an online search engine, you will be overwhelmed by the sheer number of entries. The popularity of the concept of motivation and the breadth of its use reflect its importance for issues relating to health, athletic performance, and general life contexts on an individual and a societal level. Ligh...

The aim of the study was to examine reciprocal associations between risk perceptions for cardiovascular disease and health behaviors (i.e., physical activity, fruit/vegetable consumption), while accounting for key personality characteristics in middle-aged adults. Participants (N = 297; M (SD) age = 51 (6.95); 72.4% female) completed online questio...

Parents must rapidly adapt goals from various aspects of their lives to accommodate the demands of the early stages of parenthood. The management and attainment of goals is more likely, if individuals hold autonomous motives (goals align with internally held self-concepts) than controlled motives (goals driven by demands/pressures). Metacognitive s...

Background Citizens who contribute as volunteers and peer mentors within a community are important assets that can be mobilised to improve health and wellbeing. In order to optimise the contribution of peer-volunteers to active ageing initiatives, we need to understand their experiences and identify ways to support them in preparing for the role an...

In three experiments, we examine the role of motives underlying goal pursuit and the metacognitive strategy of mental contrasting with implementation intentions (MCII) to predict the strategic use of self‐regulation responses (persistence, disengagement, and reengagement) when faced with attainable, unattainable, or multiple goals. We trained half...

Teachers’ behaviour is a key factor that influences students’ motivation. Many theoretical models have tried to explain this influence, with one of the most thoroughly researched being self-determination theory (SDT). We used a Delphi method to create a classification of teacher behaviours consistent with SDT. This is useful because SDT-based inter...

This qualitative research explored older adults’ perceptions of participating in group-based walking programs set in independent-living retirement village contexts. Semistructured interviews were conducted with a subset of participants from the Residents in Action Trial. Data were analyzed through a combination of deductive and inductive thematic a...

Recent narrative reviews indicate several psychological and social benefits of sport participation for the ageing population. However, no quantitative synthesis of quantitative studies on this topic has been conducted to date. We aimed to evaluate the magnitude and heterogeneity of the effects of sport participation on psychosocial outcomes for mid...

Objective We aimed to determine what older adults perceive to be need-supportive behaviours of peer walk leaders, drawing primarily from Self-Determination Theory (SDT). Design Experienced peer leaders (n = 13; Mage = 73.23, SD = 6.55) and walkers (n = 17; Mage = 72.88, SD = 5.79) were recruited from existing walking groups. Individuals who express...

OBJECTIVE: We aimed to determine what older adults perceive to be need-supportive behaviors of peer walk leaders, drawing primarily from Self-Determination Theory (SDT). DESIGN: Experienced peer leaders (n = 13; Mage = 73.23, SD = 6.55) and walkers (n = 17; Mage = 72.88, SD = 5.79) were recruited from existing walking groups. Individuals who expres...

Objectives: In this study, we aimed to investigate older adults' perceptions of their walking experiences, using the social-ecological model as a guiding framework and to propose future walking intervention content. Methods: Thirty-eight participants (19 women; 47% from private elderly centers; mean age = 72.8 (SD = 7.4 years) took part in semi-...

We conducted a longitudinal (3-month) qualitative study to examine elite military personnel's (N = 32) experiences and perspectives of team resilience emergence following two team-oriented training courses within an 18-month high-stakes training program where personnel are required to operate in newly formed tactical teams for extended periods. Our...

Stress is an important consideration for understanding why individuals take part in limited or no physical activity. The negative effects of stress on physical activity do not hold for everyone, so examinations of possible resilience resources that might protect individuals from the harmful effects of stress are required. Accordingly, we conducted...

There is intuitive and practical appeal to the idea of emergent resilience, that is, sustaining healthy levels of functioning or recovering quickly after some degree of deterioration following exposure to heightened risk or vulnerability. Scholars typically utilize mean levels of functioning indices to identify qualitatively distinct latent subgrou...

Objectives: Physical activity and fruit and vegetable consumption are two key health behaviours associated with the health and well-being of middle-aged and older adults. The present research investigated how habit and self-determined motivation interact with intention to prospectively predict physical activity and fruit and vegetable consumption...

Objective: This process evaluation aimed to evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of Aussie-FIT, a group-based weight loss intervention for men with overweight and obesity in Australia. Design: Process data and data collected from: (1) six-participant focus groups (n= 24), (2) coach interviews (n = 4), (3) audio recordings of Aussie-FIT ses...

Background Physical inactivity is a global health concern. mHealth interventions have become increasingly popular, but to date, principles of effective communication from Self-Determination Theory have not been integrated with behavior change techniques to optimize app effectiveness. We outline the development of the START app, an app combining SDT...

Background Successful peer volunteering is central to many community-based, active ageing initiatives. This study synthesises the perspectives of a range of stakeholders involved in peer volunteering initiatives and provides recommendations as to how peer volunteers can be effectively mobilised as community assets. Methods An evidence synthesis of...

Recently revised public health guidelines acknowledge the health benefits of regular intermittent bouts of vigorous intensity incidental physical activity done as part of daily living, such as carrying shopping bags, walking uphill, and stair climbing. Despite this recognition and the advantages such lifestyle physical activity has over continuous...

Background: Research suggests dyadic interventions can increase physical activity; such interventions are untested within postpartum parent couples. Methods: A three-armed pilot randomized trial addressed this gap and tested which type of dyadic intervention is most effective. Inactive postpartum mothers and a significant other were recruited in Au...

Objectives: Self-compassion can facilitate self-improvement motivation. We examined the effects of self-compassion in response to dietary lapses on outcomes relevant to weight-loss strivings using a longitudinal design. The indirect effects of self-compassion via guilt and shame were also explored. Design: An Ecological Momentary Assessment methodo...

The authors examined whether purposeful walking with peers at least once a week contributes to better behavioral and health outcomes in older adults than primarily walking alone. The authors used a longitudinal cohort design and recruited participants aged 60 years and older (N = 136) at the start of a 16-week walking intervention. Participants who...

Background and Objectives Peer volunteers offer a promising avenue for promoting physical activity in older adults. However, recruiting and retaining such volunteers is challenging. We aimed to examine longitudinally factors that determine whether older volunteer walk leaders will persist in their role. Research Design and Methods We recruited old...

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Peer volunteers offer a promising avenue for promoting physical activity in older adults. However, recruiting and retaining such volunteers is challenging. We aimed to examine longitudinally factors that determine whether older volunteer walk leaders will persist in their role. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: We recruited ol...

Background: Successful peer volunteering is central to many community-based, active ageing initiatives. This study synthesises the perspectives of a range of stakeholders involved in peer volunteering initiatives and provides recommendations as to how peer volunteers can be effectively mobilised as community assets. Methods: An evidence synthesis o...

We examined whether purposeful walking with peers (WP) at least once a week contributes to better behavioral and health outcomes in older adults than primarily walking alone (WA). We used a longitudinal cohort design and recruited participants aged 60 and older (N =136) at the start of a 16-week walking intervention. Participants who walked on aver...

Background Recent evidence shows that sport settings can act as a powerful draw to engage men in weight loss. The primary objective of this pilot study was to test the feasibility of delivering and to evaluate preliminary efficacy of Aussie-FIT, a weight-loss program for men with overweight/obesity delivered in Australian Football League (AFL) sett...

Background Successful peer volunteering is central to many community-based, active ageing initiatives. This study synthesises the perspectives of a range of stakeholders involved in peer volunteering initiatives and provides recommendations as to how peer volunteers can be effectively mobilised as community assets.Methods An evidence synthesis of q...

Motivation has been a ubiquitous topic in sport and exercise psychology research (Biddle, 1999; Weiss & Gill, 2005). Numerous theories have lent themselves as frameworks to study motivation in this domain, including self-determination theory (SDT; Deci & Ryan, 1985a; Ryan & Deci, 2017), theory of planned behaviour (Ajzen, 1991), and achievement goa...

Adversities refer to events that are characterised by perceived or actual threat to human functioning. Often considered deleterious for health and well-being, recent work supports an alternative picture of the effects of adversity on human functioning, such that a moderate amount of adversity – when compared with none or high levels – can be benefi...

Background and objectives: Peer-led interventions are promising for the promotion of physical activity behavior in older adults. However, little is known about the attributes of effective older peer leaders in such intervention programs. The objective was to determine what older adults perceive to be effective peer leader attributes. Research des...

Objectives To examine the longitudinal associations and differences between self-reported and device-assessed physical activity (PA) and sedentary behaviour (SB), using a multifaceted statistical approach. Design Longitudinal measurement burst. Methods In total, 52 university students (78% female) aged 18 - 38 years (mean = 21.94 ± 4.57 years) pa...

Walking interventions can be effective in increasing physical activity amongst physically inactive employees. However, despite their promising potential regarding sustainability and scalability, peer-led workplace walking interventions have not been tested. We evaluated a peer-led workplace group walking intervention designed to engage physically i...

A new measure of psychological need states in sport, based on self-determination theory. It measures need satisfaction and need frustration

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Peer-led interventions are promising for the promotion of physical activity behavior in older adults. However, little is known about the attributes of effective older peer leaders in such intervention programs. The objective was to determine what older adults perceive to be effective peer leader attributes. RESEARCH DESIG...

There are no literature reviews that have examined the impact of health-domain interventions, informed by self-determination theory (SDT; Ryan & Deci, 2017), on SDT constructs and health indices. Our aim was to meta-analyze such interventions in the health promotion and disease management literatures. Studies were eligible if they used an experimen...

Drawing from diverse theoretical frameworks, we examined predictors of discrepancy between current and ideal body image in a sample of 396 Greek adolescents. The participants completed assessments of the frequency of comparing oneself with someone of perceived better appearance, appearance evaluations, frustration of basic psychological needs, and...

Stress is an important consideration for understanding why individuals take part in limited or no physical activity (PA). The effects of stress on PA does not hold for everyone, so examinations of possible moderators that protect individuals from the harmful effects of stress are required. Aligned with a resilience framework, individual resources (...

Team resilience reflects a team’s ability to maintain or return quickly to optimal functioning following adversity exposure and is believed to be essential for military success (Gilmore, 2016). Unsurprisingly, military training programs commonly include adversities that are designed to test individual and team capacities, yet there is little knowle...

Objectives Research guided by Self-determination Theory (Deci & Ryan, 1985; Ryan & Deci, 2017) has repeatedly demonstrated the importance of focusing on both the bright (satisfaction) and dark (frustration) sides of the three basic psychological needs. Recently, researchers have also argued for the utility of assessing a third need state, that of “...

BACKGROUND Physical inactivity is a global health concern. mHealth interventions have become increasingly popular, but to date, principles of effective communication from Self-Determination Theory have not been integrated with behavior change techniques to optimize app effectiveness. OBJECTIVE We evaluated the usability of the START app, an app co...

Objective: The Residents in Action Trial (RiAT; ACTRN12616001177448) was a 16-week motivationally-embellished peer-led walking intervention designed to increase walking, reduce sitting, and improve mental health and well-being in insufficiently active residents in retirement villages. In this paper we report on 1) trial feasibility and acceptabilit...

Research guided by Self-determination Theory (Deci & Ryan, 1985; Ryan & Deci, 2017) has repeatedly demonstrated the importance of focusing on both the bright (satisfaction) and dark (frustration) sides of the three basic psychological needs. Recently, researchers have also argued for the utility of assessing a third need state, that of “unfulfillme...

Objectives Various self-report measures based on Self-Determination Theory (Deci & Ryan, 1985; Ryan & Deci, 2017) have been developed to assess athletes’ perceptions of their coaches’ need supportive and thwarting behaviors. We propose that it is also conceptually important to distinguish between coaching behaviors that thwart and those that are in...

Objectives Various self-report measures based on Self-Determination Theory (Deci & Ryan, 1985; Ryan & Deci, 2017) have been developed to assess athletes’ perceptions of their coaches’ need supportive and thwarting behaviors. We propose that it is also conceptually important to distinguish between coaching behaviors that thwart and those that are in...

Objectives: The effect of physical inactivity on mental health risk is well established; however, less is known about about how psychological distress might deter participation in physical activity. Guided by advancements in the treatment of longitudinal data, the aim of this study was to examine patterns and predictors of change in moderate-to-vig...

In this study, we examined whether high-school students experienced optimal educational and well-being outcomes when they perceived that they and their classmates received an equal, rather than unequal, and high amount of autonomy support from teachers. In a prospective study that aimed to predict academic grades and well-being outcomes, surface an...

Stress is an important consideration for understanding why individuals take part in limited or no physical activity (PA). The effects of stress on PA does not hold for everyone, so examinations of possible moderators that protect individuals from the harmful effects of stress are required. Aligned with a resilience framework, individual resources (...

Several interventions have targeted dyads to promote physical activity (PA) or reduce sedentary behaviour (SB), but the evidence has not been synthesised. Sixty-nine studies were identified from MEDLINE, PsycINFO, and Web of Science, and 59 were included in the main meta-analyses (providing 72 independent tests). Intervention details, type of dyadi...

The purpose of this scoping review was to examine the literature on team resilience to gain insight into current thinking regarding its definition and conceptualisation, and to identify how researchers have operationalised and measured this concept. We conducted a systematic scoping review using the 5-phase approach proposed by Arksey and O’Malley....

Community gardens have been associated with a number of positive outcomes, including community and individual well-being. We used self-determination theory as a framework to interpret the social-psychological characteristics of community gardens that may determine their role in sustaining need satisfaction and well-being. Semistructured face-to-fac...

Purpose: This article outlines the development and validation of the Need-Relevant Instructor Behaviors Scale (NIBS). Drawing from self-determination theory, the NIBS is the first observation tool designed to code the frequency and the intensity of autonomy-, competence-, and relatedness-relevant behaviors of exercise instructors. The scale also c...

Introduction: Overweight and obesity are highly prevalent among Australian men. Professional sports settings can act as a powerful ‘hook’ to engage men in weight loss programmes; the Football Fans in Training (FFIT) programme delivered in professional UK soccer clubs was successful and cost effective in helping men lose weight. The Australian Footb...

With empirical research on team resilience on the rise, there is a need for an integrative conceptual model that delineates the essential elements of this concept and offers a heuristic for the integration of findings across studies. To address this need, we propose a multilevel model of team resilience that originates in the resources of individua...

This study examined the feasibility of a 10-week self-determination theory-based training programme delivered to 24 group exercise instructors. Feasibility of implementing the programme was explored in terms of 1) recruitment, 2) rates of adherence and retention, and 3) acceptability. Results revealed modest uptake (51%) and excellent workshop atte...