title: Are grown-ups with congenital heart disease willing to participate in an exercise program?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine the willingness of grown-ups with congenital heart disease (GUCH) to participate in the GUCH Training Program-Individualised (GTI), an exercise program specifically designed for GUCH, and to identify factors affecting their willingness to participate.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this cross-sectional study, all outpatient GUCH of the University Medical Center Groningen in The Netherlands, living within a 30-km radius of Groningen (n = 311), were asked to participate.
  
  
  METHODS
  In total, 116 (37%) of the 311 GUCH who are invited to participate in our study returned completed questionnaires. The median age of the respondents was 40 (interquartile range 31-50) years and 55% were women.
  
  
  METHODS
  Respondents (n = 116) completed a questionnaire that queried physical activity, perceived physical fitness, psychosocial determinants (motivation, self-efficacy, and social support) related to physical activity, and willingness to participate in GTI.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 116 respondents, 68 (59%) were willing to participate in GTI. They were less physically active, had worse perceived physical fitness, were less satisfied with their fitness, were generally more motivated to engage in physical activity, and had more social support than patients unwilling to participate. The best logistic regression model predicting willingness to participate in GTI included the variables perceived physical fitness and motivation for physical activity in general.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Asking GUCH to participate in an exercise program supervised by physical therapists is a good strategy. Taken into account nonresponse, a participation rate in the exercise program of over 20% is to be expected. Perceived physical fitness and motivation for physical activity in general are important predictors of patients' willingness to participate.
authors.affiliation: Professorship in Health Care and Nursing, Hanze University of Applied Sciences, Groningen, The Netherlands; Department of Epidemiology, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Manon L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Dontje
authors.forename: Marlies
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Feenstra
authors.forename: Mathieu H G
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: de Greef
authors.forename: Wybe
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Nieuwland
authors.forename: Elke S
authors.initials: ES
authors.lastname: Hoendermis
mesh_terms: D000046:Academic Medical Centers; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005081:Exercise Therapy; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006330:Heart Defects, Congenital / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009042:Motivation; D009426:Netherlands; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care; D010809:Physical Fitness; D057185:Sedentary Behavior; D012944:Social Support; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: Congenital Heart Disease; Exercise; Motivation; Perceived Fitness; Physical Activity