Research indicates that executive functioning may predict health behavior. This systematic review provides an overview of the relationship between domains of executive functioning and health behaviors associated with the leading causes of death in the United States. A total of 114 articles met the inclusion criteria (adult sample, published in English between 1990 and November 2016) and were reviewed and synthesized. Results indicated that although many studies had mixed findings, at least one executive function component was associated with every health behavior. Based on these results, health professionals should consider the role of executive functions in behavior change interventions.
AjzenIMaddenTJ (1986) Prediction of goal-directed behavior: Attitudes, intentions, and perceived behavioral control. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology22(5): 453–474.
2.
AllanJLMcMinnDDalyM (2016) A bidirectional relationship between executive function and health behavior: Evidence, implications, and future directions. Frontiers in Neuroscience10: 386.
3.
BarkleyRMurphyK (2011) The nature of executive function (EF) deficits in daily life activities in adults with ADHD and their relationship to performance on EF tests. Journal of Psychopathology and Behavioral Assessment33(2): 137–158.
4.
BugentalDBSchwartzA (2009) A cognitive approach to child mistreatment prevention among medically at-risk infants. Developmental Psychology45(1): 284–288.
5.
CrandallADeater-DeckardKRileyAW (2015) Maternal emotion and cognitive control capacities and parenting: A conceptual framework. Developmental Review36: 105–126.
6.
DeckerSLHillSKDeanRS (2007) Evidence of construct similarity in executive functions and fluid reasoning abilities. International Journal of Neuroscience117(6): 735–748.
7.
DehningMKimJNguyenCM, et al. (2014) Neuropsychological performance, brain imaging, and driving violations in multiple sclerosis. Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation95(10): 1818–1823.
8.
DiamondA (2013) Executive functions. Annual Review of Psychology64(1): 135–168.
9.
HaikonenSWikmanASKalskaH, et al. (1998) Neuropsychological correlates of duration of glances at secondary tasks while driving. Applied Neuropsychology5(1): 24–32.
10.
HallPAMarteauTM (2014) Executive function in the context of chronic disease prevention: Theory, research and practice. Preventive Medicine68: 44–50.
11.
HallPAFongGTEppLJ, et al. (2008) Executive function moderates the intention-behavior link for physical activity and dietary behavior. Psychology & Health23(3): 309–326.
12.
HarveyEDanforthJSEberhardt McKeeT, et al. (2003) Parenting of children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD): The role of parental ADHD symptomatology. Journal of Attention Disorders7(1): 31–42.
13.
HennigBLKaplanRFNowickiAE, et al. (2014) We can predict when driving is no longer safe for people who have HD using standard neuropsychological measures. Journal of Huntington’s Disease3(4): 351–353.
14.
HigginsJPTGreenS (eds) (2011) Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions, Version 5.1.0. The Cochrane Collaboration. Available at: http://training.cochrane.org/handbook
15.
HofmannWSchmeichelBJBaddeleyAD (2012) Executive functions and self-regulation. Trends in Cognitive Sciences16(3): 174–180.
16.
HughesCEnsorRWilsonA, et al. (2009) Tracking executive function across the transition to school: A latent variable approach. Developmental Neuropsychology35(1): 20–36.
17.
LupienSJMcEwenBSGunnarMR, et al. (2009) Effects of stress throughout the lifespan on the brain, behaviour and cognition. Nature Reviews Neuroscience10(6): 434–445.
18.
Melby-LervågMHulmeC (2013) Is working memory training effective? A meta-analytic review. Developmental Psychology49(2): 270–291.
19.
MiyakeAFriedmanNP (2012) The nature and organization of individual differences in executive functions. Current Directions in Psychological Science21(1): 8–14.
20.
MoffittTEArseneaultLBelskyD, et al. (2011) A gradient of childhood self-control predicts health, wealth, and public safety. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America108(7): 2693–2698.
21.
National Center for Health Statistics (2017) Health, United States, 2016: With chartbook on long-term trends in health. Available at: https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/hus/hus16.pdf
22.
SheridanMASarsourKJutteD, et al. (2012) The impact of social disparity on prefrontal function in childhood. PLoS ONE7(4): e35744.
23.
Sonuga-BarkeEJSDaleyDThompsonM (2002) Does maternal ADHD reduce the effectiveness of parent training for preschool children’s ADHD?Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry41(6): 696–702.
24.
StarkeyNJIslerRB (2016) The role of executive function, personality and attitudes to risks in explaining self-reported driving behaviour in adolescent and adult male drivers. Transportation Research Part F: Traffic Psychology and Behaviour38: 127–136.
25.
StilleyCSBenderCMDunbar-JacobJ, et al. (2010) The impact of cognitive function on medication management: Three studies. Health Psychology29(1): 50–55.
26.
ToplakMEWestRFStanovichKE (2013) Practitioner review: Do performance-based measures and ratings of executive function assess the same construct?Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, and Allied Disciplines54(2): 131–143.
27.
TorralvaTGleichgerrchtELischinskyA, et al. (2013) “Ecological” and highly demanding executive tasks detect real-life deficits in high-functioning adult ADHD patients. Journal of Attention Disorders17(1): 11–19.
28.
WebbTLSheeranP (2006) Does changing behavioral intentions engender behavior change? A meta-analysis of the experimental evidence. Psychological Bulletin132(2): 249–268.
29.
WeintraubSDikmenSSHeatonRK, et al. (2013) Cognition assessment using the NIH toolbox. Neurology80(11Suppl. 3): S54–S64.
Supplementary Material
Please find the following supplemental material available below.
For Open Access articles published under a Creative Commons License, all supplemental material carries the same license as the article it is associated with.
For non-Open Access articles published, all supplemental material carries a non-exclusive license, and permission requests for re-use of supplemental material or any part of supplemental material shall be sent directly to the copyright owner as specified in the copyright notice associated with the article.
