Research paper
Kwasnicka D, Dombrowski SU, White M, Sniehotta F. Theoretical explanations for maintenance of behaviour change: a systematic review of behaviour theories. Health Psychology Review. 2016 Sep;10(3):277-96. doi:10.1080/17437199.2016.1151372
Why we cite it
The most comprehensive theoretical mapping of behavior change maintenance to date. Where Rothman et al. (2009) proposed the initiation/maintenance distinction as a 2×2 matrix, this systematic review catalogued 100 theories and distilled them into five interconnected themes explaining why some people maintain changes and others don’t. For the project, this provides the full theoretical landscape for understanding why dietary changes fail long-term: it is not enough to start strong (initiation) — maintenance requires sustained motivation that shifts from expectations to satisfaction, ongoing self-regulation with effective lapse management, habit formation through repetition in stable contexts, sufficient psychological resources, and supportive environmental/social contexts.
DOI: 10.1080/17437199.2016.1151372 · PubMed 26854092 · Publisher