Factors affecting stages of exercise behavior change among students

Introduction: The term physical activity is complicated, and intricate action, this is affecting overall health of human being that’s why it is hard to evaluate and everyone perception of being physically active is different. The Trans-theoretical model is encompassing the stages through which we can analyze person’s stage of exercise behavior change (Pre-contemplation, contemplation, preparation, action and maintenance). There is also self-efficacy and decisional balance which are affecting the exercise behaviour change stages. It is effectively described in previous studies that the person who have active lifestyle have spending good quality of life and the person who have inactive lifestyle then they spending their life in different diseases, being physically active made allot of health related factors work well and prevent person from long lasting and life threatening diseases.

Objective: To identify the factors affecting exercise behavior change among students.

Methodology: The descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted with a sample of 103 undergraduate physiotherapy students from different government and private institutes of physiotherapy Karachi, Pakistan, Sindh. Non probability convenience sampling technique was used to collect the data. Written informed consent was taken from all participants prior to study. Three questionnaires were used to collect the data including stage of change questionnaire for exercise, self-efficacy questionnaire and decisional balance questionnaire.

Results: Results shows that out of 100 students 58.3% is on active stage, whereas 24.3% were on preparation stage, though 8.7% was on contemplation, and 7.8% were on precontemplation and maintenance. In this study decision to do exercise percentage is on moderate level 77.7% students are intend to exercise or they are on active stage. In this study the self-efficacy among students towards exercise is on low level.

Conclusion: This cross-sectional study concluded that self-efficacy is motivator factor in change in exercise behavior but it depends on individual own perception towards exercise. It is also important that if the behavior change is on good stage then there should be optimum level of resources to stay on that stage and maintain it as much as possible.