Objective: Long-term rehabilitation success depends on regular exercise and healthy nutrition. The present study introduces a new framework to explain this association on a psychosocial level. The exercise-nutrition relationship was investigated by exploring the sequential mediation of habit strength and transfer cognitions.
Design: Analyses were performed at two measurement points in time (at 12 and 18 months after rehabilitation), involving 470 medical rehabilitation patients who participated in an exercise intervention.
Main outcome measures: Patients filled in paper-pencil questionnaires assessing exercise (t1) and habit strength, transfer cognitions and healthy nutrition at follow-up (t2).
Results: Habit strength and transfer cognitions mediated the relationship between exercise and nutrition.
Conclusion: Findings suggest that habit strength and transfer cognitions are important factors underlying the relationship between exercise and nutrition.
Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT00979719.
Keywords: habit strength; healthy nutrition; multiple health behaviours; physical exercise; rehabilitation; transfer cognitions.