The effects of exercise advertising on self-efficacy and decisional balance.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the effects of exercise advertising on self-efficacy and decisional balance for changing exercise behavior.


METHODS
One hundred seventy-four university students (females = 108; males = 66) watched a video that contained health, appearance, or control advertising and completed stage of change, exercise self-efficacy, and decisional balance questionnaires.


RESULTS
There was a significant condition by gender interaction indicating that men in the appearance condition had lower self-efficacy than did females. Health promotion advertising did not have any effect.


CONCLUSIONS
This study provides evidence that the message in appearance-based advertising that men should be muscular may be detrimental.
Berry
Tanya R
TR
Department of Kinesiology and Physical Education, Wilfrid Laurier University Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. tberry@wlu.ca
Howe
Bruce L
BL
D000328:Adult; D000329:Advertising; D001828:Body Image; D003657:Decision Making; D015444:Exercise / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008402:Mass Media; D020377:Self Efficacy; D012737:Sex Factors; D013008:Somatotypes / Q000523:psychology