Psychological capital and health behaviours: Can it buffer against fatigue?

Abstract

This study explores how psychological capital (PsyCap) and self-regulatory fatigue (SRF) predict discretionary food intake and physical activity over time. Discretionary food includes cakes, confectionery, and processed meat. They are regarded as delectable but are also high in saturated fat and added sugars. Physical activity is similarly crucial for a healthy lifestyle. About 387 Australian adults participated in a three-wave online survey over 4 weeks that measured four aspects of PsyCap (hope, optimism, self-efficacy, and resilience) and SRF. The outcome variables were daily discretionary food intake and physical activity levels. Path models revealed that PsyCap negatively predicted discretionary food intake and positively predicted physical activity. Moreover, baseline PsyCap predicted both outcomes 4 weeks post-baseline. This effect was fully mediated by SRF. This is consistent with a model where SRF drives lifestyle behaviours. Behavioural interventions could target PsyCap improvement or otherwise help participants minimise SRF.