A Comparative Inquiry on the Effect of Metacognitive Training and Decision-Making Strategies on Self-Management of Health Behavior among Overweight Middle-Aged People

The prevalence of obesity has increased significantly in the last few decades, and with its increase, the risk of some diseases has increased. The present study aimed to compare the effect of metacognitive training and decision-making strategies on self-management of health behavior (SMHB) among overweight middle-aged people.

A pre-test/post-test controlled quasi-experimental study was conducted with a follow-up period and two experimental groups. The population comprised overweight middle-aged individuals visiting weight loss clinics in Tehran in 2022. 75 individuals were selected via convenience sampling and randomly placed into two experimental groups and one control group. The experimental groups received training in either metacognitive or decision-making skills (eight 90-minute sessions). The control was not exposed to any intervention. The data were collected by using the Health Promotion Lifestyle Profile (HPLP). Three months later, the same questionnaire was administered to the three groups. SPSS-24 was employed to analyze the data utilizing repeated measures ANOVA.

The findings revealed that metacognitive training and decision-making strategies improved SMHB (P<0.001). No major differences in effectiveness were found between the two intervention programs.

The findings of this study support the use of approaches to the third wave of cognitive-behavioral therapy for health-enhancing behaviors. It is suggested that metacognitive training and decision-making strategies be used to improve health behaviors in overweight people.