Information behavior in stages of exercise behavior change

Abstract

This study augments the transtheoretical model (TTM) of behavior change with the concepts of information behavior and employs this framework to understand young men's needs for and practices of obtaining and avoiding information on physical activity and exercise in relation to their readiness to change exercise behavior. The results, based on statistical analyses of a population‐based survey (N = 616) conducted in Finland, indicate that health information behavior is influenced by an individual′s stage of change in the context of physical activity and exercise. In pre‐action stages (precontemplation, contemplation, preparation) where individuals do not exercise regularly and are uninformed or lack motivation, commitment, or skills to change behaviors, information is most often encountered through the passive practice of nondirected monitoring. In the action stage, where individuals have recently changed their exercise behaviors, information is obtained most frequently by active seeking. In the maintenance stage, where individuals maintain earlier adopted behaviors, information is habitually obtained through active scanning. These results support the TTM in its postulation that individuals may benefit from stage‐tailored health‐communication strategies. The limitations of this study include self‐reported behaviors, cross‐sectional study design, and a possibly biased sample. Further research is needed to explore the role of information behavior in the process of behavior change in greater detail.