Can travel advisors influence physical activity in personal travel planning projects using the theory of planned behaviour? A longitudinal study

The objective was to examine the effect of travel advisors (TAs) used in personal travel planning interventions (PTP) on physical activity (PA) in an urban, ethnically diverse residential settings. The study assessed the utility of the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) to predict both intention and PA associated with “TAs”. A quasi-experimental longitudinal study was conducted with two groups to examine changes in physical activity levels. The methods involved a survey targeted at residents in a PTP targeted area who spoke to a TA (intervention group) and residents who did not (control group). Participants in the intervention group (n = 147) and control group (n = 95) self-reported their PA levels and constructs of the TPB at three time points. The results show that residents who had spoken to a TA reported significantly higher levels of physical activity at each of the three time points. ANOVA”s revealed significant interaction effects for the TPB constructs. The overall conclusion was that those who had spoken to a TA reported more PA at each of the three time points.