
Michelle L SegarUniversity of Michigan | U-M · Institute for Research on Women and Gender
Michelle L Segar
PhD, MPH, MS
Conducting translational research, sustainable behavior change curriculum design, train-the-trainer
About
42
Publications
19,690
Reads
How we measure 'reads'
A 'read' is counted each time someone views a publication summary (such as the title, abstract, and list of authors), clicks on a figure, or views or downloads the full-text. Learn more
1,281
Citations
Introduction
For over 27 years, through research and application, I've been studying how to create sustained self-care and healthy behaviors. My sustainable behavior change research and thinking integrate insights from across research areas and principles of branding. Of special interest is how to distill basic principles from theory and research findings into consumer-friendly concepts, graphics, and messages that can be used in digital health products (e.g., AI) and tele-health protocols.
Additional affiliations
August 2013 - present
National Physical Activity Plan
Position
- Chair
September 2011 - present
April 2007 - present
Education
September 2001 - December 2006
September 1995 - May 1997
September 1993 - May 1995
Publications
Publications (42)
In 2022, an interdisciplinary team of subject matter experts was convened to substantially revise the Mass Media sector content of the National Physical Activity Plan. The updated version recognizes the rapid pace at which the media landscape is evolving and includes a new sector name (Media and Communications) and revised strategies and tactics th...
Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the cancers most highly affected by diet. Recommendations for reducing risk of CRC include weight management, eating plentiful plant-based high fiber foods, and limiting intakes of red meats and ultra-processed foods. In addition, an increased proportion of monounsaturated and omega-3 fats in the diet is beneficial...
Purpose
To explore the social context of physical activity (PA) among active Black women, we examine the patterns of PA engagement and the benefits of social support in PA maintenance.
Design
A cross-sectional study design and descriptive phenomenological approach were used to examine social support and lived experiences of active Black women.
Se...
The World Health Organization (WHO) released the 2020 global guidelines on physical activity and sedentary behaviour. The new guidelines contain a significant change from the 2010 guidelines on physical activity for adults and older adults that has important implications for next-generation physical activity messaging: The removal of the need for a...
Engaging in regular physical activity can help prevent chronic disease and enhance quality of life. Unfortunately, less than 20% of American adults meet the recommended physical activity guidelines, perhaps indicating ineffective communication efforts around physical activity. In preparation for the release of the second edition of the Physical Act...
Purpose
Less than half of US adults meet the recommended guidelines of 150 minutes of exercise each week. Health promotion messages are frequently used to promote physical activity (PA); however, this messaging may be ineffective if it does not resonate with the target audience. The purpose of this exploratory study is to understand how women respo...
Studying positive outliers, individuals who have achieved success with long-term (> 6-month) physical activity (PA) engagement, may be an important approach for understanding strategies for improving leisure-time PA maintenance among African American (AA) women. This cross-sectional, mixed-methods study (1) examined the personal characteristics, PA...
Background:
Many parents are insufficiently active. Further research is needed to understand the goals that drive sustained exercise participation among parents. The purpose of this study was to use self-determination theory derived constructs to examine the relationship between parents' exercise goals and their autonomous motivation, controlled m...
Background:
Many employers now incentivize employees to engage in wellness programs, yet few studies have examined differences in preferences for incentivizing participation in healthy behaviors and wellness programs.
Method:
We surveyed 2,436 employees of a large university about their preferences for incentivizing participation in different ty...
Objective
This study assessed the beliefs, barriers and preferences for physical activity (PA) among users of outpatient mental health (MH) services. Outpatient discussions with MH providers were also evaluated.
Method
Between September–December 2014, patient advisors approached adult and family members in an academic MH clinic's waiting room on h...
Apply It! • Discover some concerns about fitness tracking apps and wearables based on the science of motivation and decision-making. • Learn key science related to creating lasting behavior change. • Identify how to use basic scientific principles to cultivate intrinsic motivation and lasting behavior change using fitness tracking apps and wearable...
Background
Communication about physical activity (PA) frames PA and influences what it means to people, including the role it plays in their lives. To the extent that PA messages can be designed to reflect outcomes that are relevant to what people most value experiencing and achieving in their daily lives, the more compelling and effective they wil...
Background:
Health coaching is potentially a practical method to assist patients in achieving and maintaining healthy lifestyles. In health coaching, the coach partners with the patient, helping patients discover their own strengths, challenges, and solutions.
Methods:
Two medical assistants were provided with brief training. The 12-week program...
Introduction:
Employee wellness programs show mixed effectiveness results. This study examined the impact of an insurer's lifestyle modification program on healthcare costs of obese individuals.
Methods:
This nonrandomized comparative effectiveness study evaluated changes in healthcare costs for participants in two incentivized programs, an Inte...
Exercise is medicine (EIM) is grounded in strong evidence regarding the benefits of physical activity. Despite the contributions of EIM initiatives worldwide, rates of physical inactivity remain alarmingly high. We propose a reframe of EIM for the general population to improve motivation and foster sustainable behaviour change. We draw on a solid k...
ABSTRACT Exercise is Medicine® (EIM) and physical activity as a vital sign are based on health-focused research and reflect ideal frames and messages for clinicians. However, they are nonoptimal for patients because they do not address what drives patients’ decision-making and motivation. With the growing national emphasis on patient-centered and v...
Exercise is Medicine (EIM) and physical activity as a vital sign are based on health-focused research and reflect ideal frames and messages for clinicians. However, they are nonoptimal for patients because they do not address what drives patients' decision-making and motivation. With the growing national emphasis on patient-centered and value-based...
Health coaching is potentially a cost‐effective method by which individuals can obtain assistance in achieving and maintaining healthy lifestyles in primary care. In health coaching, the counselor partners with the patient, helping patients discover their own strengths, challenges, and solutions. Currently, there is little research on health coachi...
Achieved #1 Best Seller in Exercise and Fitness on Amazon (USA and Canada) and called
"the best book on exercise I've ever read" by best-selling author Dan Heath (Made to Stick, Switch), "a much-needed guide for both health professionals and the general public" by Pedro Teixeira (past president of the International Society of Behavioral Nutrition a...
BACKGROUND: To promote active lifestyles among Americans the Surgeon General will release a Walking Call-to-Action in mid-2014. The following research supports this call by conducting marketing research about walking among low-income mothers, a population at high risk of low physical activity. As family gatekeepers, women are uniquely positioned to...
Leveraging insights from key affective and behavioral science, this open-access Commentary in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine discusses how to make walking communications more relevant and persuasive to foster long-term motivation and behavioral maintenance. With the upcoming Surgeon General's Walking Call-to-Action, it is important to...
Background:
In the United States, health promotion efforts often begin with state-level strategic plans. Many states have obesity, nutrition, or other topic-related plans that include physical activity (PA). The purpose of this study was to assess PA content in these state plans and make recommendations for future plan development.
Methods:
Publ...
The reasons for exercising that are featured in health communications brand exercise and socialize individuals about why they should be physically active. Discovering which reasons for exercising are associated with high-quality motivation and behavioral regulation is essential to promoting physical activity and weight control that can be sustained...
The Supplemental Material contains the three physical activity advertisements used in this study. Participants were randomized to read one of the three ads in this experiment. The ads were identical in every way except they differed by the frame used to promote being physically active (e.g., the benefit derived from or stated goal for being physica...
Behavior can only be understood by identifying the goals to which it is attached. Superordinate-level goals are linked to individuals' values, and may offer insights into how to connect exercise with their core values and increase participation in sustainable ways.
A random sample of healthy midlife women (aged 40-60y) was selected to participate i...
Both pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions have demonstrated efficacy in the management of fibromyalgia (FM). Non-pharmacological interventions however are far less likely to be used in clinical settings, in part due to limited access. This manuscript presents the findings of a randomized controlled trail of an Internet-based exerci...
Regular physical activity can help to prevent cardiovascular disease in women. Understanding midlife women's exercise goals could offer insight into their motivational facilitators and barriers, and assist in the development of better primary prevention strategies for this population.
We sought to investigate the relationship between midlife women'...
A better understanding of midlife women’s exercise goals could offer insight into the psychosocial facilitators and barriers
to their participation. A random sample of US working women (40–60years) was taken, and resulted in 262 participants. Cluster
analysis identified participants’ most important physical activity goal. A five goal cluster soluti...
This study was designed to investigate the relationship between midlife women's physical activity motives and their participation
in physical activity. Cross-sectional qualitative and quantitative data were collected from 59 midlife women, most of whom
were well-educated European-Americans (mean age = 45.6 years). Body-shape physical activity motiv...
Although regular exercise has important health benefits, women's physical activity participation remains low. Addressing the gender- and generation-specific barriers in an intervention may help women become more physically active. Fifty women (mean age = 45 years) participated in a six-session cognitive-behavioral intervention. Baseline, post-inter...
To evaluate the effects of 10 weeks of aerobic exercise on depressive and anxiety symptoms and self-esteem of breast cancer survivors.
Experimental, crossover.
Midwestern university town.
Twenty-four breast cancer survivors (mean time following surgery 41.8 months; ranging from 1 to 99 months) recruited via mail and cancer support groups. The mean...