title: Predicting short and long-term exercise intentions and behaviour in patients with coronary artery disease: A test of protection motivation theory.
abstract: The purpose of this study was to examine the utility of protection motivation theory (PMT) in the prediction of exercise intentions and behaviour in the year following hospitalisation for coronary artery disease (CAD). Patients with documented CAD (n = 787), recruited at hospital discharge, completed questionnaires measuring PMT's threat (i.e. perceived severity and vulnerability) and coping (i.e. self-efficacy, response efficacy) appraisal constructs at baseline, 2 and 6 months, and exercise behaviour at baseline, 6 and 12 months post-hospitalisation. Structural equation modelling showed that the PMT model of exercise at 6 months had a good fit with the empirical data. Self-efficacy, response efficacy, and perceived severity predicted exercise intentions, which, in turn predicted exercise behaviour. Overall, the PMT variables accounted for a moderate amount of variance in exercise intentions (23%) and behaviour (20%). In contrast, the PMT model was not reliable for predicting exercise behaviour at 12 months post-hospitalisation. The data provided support for PMT applied to short-term, but not long-term, exercise behaviour among patients with CAD. Health education should concentrate on providing positive coping messages to enhance patients' confidence regarding exercise and their belief that exercise provides health benefits, as well as realistic information about disease severity.
authors.affiliation: University of Ottawa Heart Institute, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. hetulloch@ottawaheart.ca
authors.forename: Heather
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tulloch
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Reida
authors.forename: Monika Slovinec
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: D'Angeloa
authors.forename: Ronald C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Plotnikoff
authors.forename: Louise
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Morrina
authors.forename: Louise
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Beatona
authors.forename: Sophia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Papadakisa
authors.forename: Andrew
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pipe
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease; D015444:Exercise; D005260:Female; D005544:Forecasting; D006293:Health Promotion; D006801:Humans; D033182:Intention; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D009042:Motivation; D009864:Ontario; D040242:Risk Reduction Behavior; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires