Type 1 Diabetes and its Effects on Active/Inactive Goal Priming for Exercise

This study determines whether priming (active or inactive) for exercise can be influenced by a chronic disease such as type 1 diabetes. Results were analyzed using a 2x2 between-subjects ANOVA to examine the influences of goal priming and a hypothetical chronic illness (type 1 diabetes) on the participant’s intention to engage in active/inactive behaviors. Participants who were actively primed remained active even after the hypothetical diabetes diagnosis. Additionally, for participants that were inactively primed and given type 1 diabetes increased their active behavior outcomes/choices relative to those participants who were not given type 1 diabetes after being inactively primed. The results of this particular study may lead us to encourage kids to engage in an active lifestyle early that will carry over to their future lifestyle which may or may not include a chronic illness. Therefore, the chronic illness will not severely impact these active behaviors to stay healthy.