Predicting the stages of change in physical activity behavior of QUMS students with Pender’s model

Abstract

Background: Low level physical activity is a risk factor for several chronic diseases and evidences suggest that the level of physical activity is decreasing. Reversing this trend depends on a behavior change by most people. However, the associations between various psychosocial determinants and physical activity are not well understood. Objective: The aim of this study was to predict the stages of change in physical activity behavior of QUMS students by Pender’s model. Method: This cross-sectional survey was carried out at Qazvin University of Medical Science in 2008. A total sample of 222 students completed a self-report questionnaire consisting of an exercise measure, constructs of health promotion model, and assessing the stages of exercise behavior change. A test-retest method was applied to determine the reliability while the Cronbach‘s Alpha used to confirm internal consistency. Face & content validity were confirmed in this study. Also, ANOVA and Path analysis were performed to determine the associations between these constructs and stage of physical activity behavior change. Findings: More than half of students were in inactive stage and exercised for 41.62 minutes a week on average. Exercise self-efficacy, perceived barriers, and perceived benefits were found to be significant predictors of the stage of exercise behavior change among medical students. Only Self-efficacy and stages of change (P