Perceived Behavioral Control and Self-Efficacy of Overweight and Normal Weight Adults Regarding Exercise at a Health Club

Purpose: Only a small fraction of overweight people get enough exercise to improve health. club environment may cause the overweight person to have low perceived control and low self The objectives of this study were to determine the perceived behavioral control and self weight (NW) adults have toward health club exercise and what individual factors affect their perceived control and self Method: A 17-item survey measured perceived behavioral control, self health club 30 min, twice a week, for the next month, in overweight (OW, n=1159) and normal weight (NW, n=550) adults. ANOVA, t-tests, Mann-Whitney Rank Sum, and correlation coefficients were used for analysis. Results: NW adults have higher overall self ability to exercise, having what is necessary related to perceived control (r=0.56) and self demands or stressful life changes. Conclusions provide support and skills for overcoming these barriers. INTRODUCTION It is well recognized that regular physical activity and associated with the co-morbidities of being overweight. reduced weight maintenance for the previously overweight. themselves recognize the importance of exercise in weight control. reported the reason they regained weight is because they stopped In spite of the acceptance of exercise as the antidote for being overweight, only a small fraction of the overweight population gets enough physical activity to reap any health benefits Health guidelines for exercise and less than one in five trying to lose weight meet the Institute of Medicine exercise recommendations.4 On the other hand, 97% of overweight individuals affirm that they would be 6 days/week (d/wk) in order to lose weight.2 The conflict between what the overweight person perceives as correct (to exercise) and how the overweight person behaves (not exercise) is called ambivalence.5 Health-related ambivalence makes it psychologically difficult to Vol. 9 o. 2 ISS 1540-580X -Efficacy of Overweight and Wayne C. Miller, PhD1 Todd A. Miller, PhD2