Allan, Julia L. and McMinn, David and Daly, Michael
(2016)
A Bidirectional Relationship between Executive Function and Health Behavior: Evidence, Implications, and Future Directions.
Frontiers in Neuroscience, 10.
ISSN 1662-453X
Abstract
Physically active lifestyles and other health-enhancing behaviors play an important role
in preserving executive function into old age. Conversely, emerging research suggests
that executive functions facilitate participation in a broad range of healthy behaviors
including physical activity and reduced fatty food, tobacco, and alcohol consumption.
They do this by supporting the volition, planning, performance monitoring, and inhibition
necessary to enact intentions and override urges to engage in health damaging behavior.
Here, we focus firstly on evidence suggesting that health-enhancing behaviors can
induce improvements in executive function. We then switch our focus to findings linking
executive function to the consistent performance of health-promoting behaviors and
the avoidance of health risk behaviors. We suggest that executive function, health
behavior, and disease processes are interdependent. In particular, we argue that a
positive feedback loop may exist whereby health behavior-induced changes in executive
function foster subsequent health-enhancing behaviors, which in turn help sustain
efficient executive functions and good health. We conclude by outlining the implications
of this reciprocal relationship for intervention strategies, the design of research studies,
and the study of healthy aging.
| Item Type: |
Article
|
| Keywords: |
executive function; cognitive ability; health behavior; physical activity; substance use; diet; health; |
| Academic Unit: |
Faculty of Science and Engineering > Psychology |
| Item ID: |
15570 |
| Identification Number: |
https://doi.org/10.3389/fnins.2016.00386 |
| Depositing User: |
Michael Daly
|
| Date Deposited: |
24 Feb 2022 14:40 |
| Journal or Publication Title: |
Frontiers in Neuroscience |
| Publisher: |
Frontiers Media |
| URI: |
|
| Use Licence: |
This item is available under a Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial Share Alike Licence (CC BY-NC-SA). Details of this licence are available
here |
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