What Intervention Techniques Are Effective in Changing Positive Affective Variables and Physical Activity? A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

A recent meta-analysis has demonstrated that positive affective variables (PAVs) partially mediate physical activity (PA) interventions. However, the effectiveness of each intervention technique on PAVs and PA is still unknown. Thus, this meta-analytic review included two primary objectives: (1) to summarize intervention effects on PA and PAVs; (2) to examine each behavior change technique's effectiveness in modifying PAVs and PA. Following PRISMA protocols, we had searched five electronic databases by April 1, 2020. The random-effect model in the Comprehensive Meta-Analysis Version 3 was adopted to perform these meta-analytic analyses. The search identified 1,742 articles, and 37 studies (49 datasets) met our inclusion criteria. Finally, inferential statistics yielded that: the utilization of “teach to use prompts/cues,” “facilitate social comparison,” and “provide information on consequences of behavior in general” had positive effects on PA or PAVs outcomes; the utilization of “barrier identification/problem solving” and “plan social support/social change” negatively affected on PA or PAVs outcomes. However, there was considerable heterogeneity in the findings. Nonetheless, this paper has considerable implications for guiding future comparative intervention studies to achieve more reliable outcomes.