Citation

Wenzel M, Geelen A, Wolters M, Hebestreit A, Van Laerhoven K, Lakerveld J, Andersen LF, Van't Veer P, Kubiak T. Front. Psychol. 2019; 10: e1511.

Affiliation

Institute of Psychology, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz, Germany.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2019, Frontiers Research Foundation)

DOI

10.3389/fpsyg.2019.01511

PMID

31312162

PMCID

PMC6614438

Abstract

The objective of the present research was to investigate associations of dispositional and momentary self-control and the presence of other individuals consuming SSBs with the consumption frequency of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) in a multi-country pilot study. We conducted an Ambulatory Assessment in which 75 university students (52 females) from four study sites carried smartphones and received prompts six times a day in their everyday environments to capture information regarding momentary self-control and the presence of other individuals consuming SSBs. Multilevel models revealed a statistically significant negative association between dispositional self-control and SSB consumption. Moreover, having more self-control than usual was only beneficial in regard to lower SSB consumption frequency, when other individuals consuming SSBs were not present but not when they were present. The findings support the hypothesis that self-control is an important factor regarding SSB consumption. This early evidence highlights self-control as a candidate to design interventions to promote healthier drinking through improved self-control.

Language: en

Keywords

diet; ecological momentary assessment; self-control; social norms; sugar-sweetened beverages