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Testing a model of exercise behavior in older adults
Author(s) -
Resnick Barbara
Publication year - 2001
Publication title -
research in nursing and health
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.836
H-Index - 85
eISSN - 1098-240X
pISSN - 0160-6891
DOI - 10.1002/nur.1011
Subject(s) - self efficacy , psychological intervention , test (biology) , mental health , psychology , gerontology , outcome (game theory) , clinical psychology , medicine , psychiatry , social psychology , paleontology , mathematics , mathematical economics , biology
The purpose of this study was to test a model of exercise behavior in older adults. It was hypothesized that (a) mental and physical health directly influence self‐efficacy expectations; (b) mental and physical health, age, and self‐efficacy expectations influence outcome expectations; and (c) all these variables directly and/or indirectly influence exercise behavior. The sample was composed of 175 older adults living in a continuing‐care retirement community, each of whom was interviewed once. Seven of the 10 hypothesized paths were significant. Physical health, self‐efficacy expectations, and outcome expectations directly influenced exercise behavior, and age and mental health indirectly influenced exercise through self‐efficacy expectations and outcome expectations. Combined these variables accounted for 30% of the variance in exercise behavior. To improve exercise behavior in older adults, health care providers should focus on developing interventions to strengthen self‐efficacy and outcome expectations related to exercise. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Res Nurs Health 24: 83–92, 2001