Physical Activity Characteristics of Potential Participants in Nutrition and Fitness Programs Based on Stages of Change, Self‐Efficacy, and Decisional Balance

Abstract

The objective of this study was to characterize potential participants of nutrition/fitness programs regarding demographics, stages of change, self‐efficacy, and decisional balance for physical activity. A cross‐sectional, mailed questionnaire was used. Participants included 545 adults randomly selected from Virginia Cooperative Extension mailing lists, with 213 questionnaires returned (response rate = 39%). Respondents were grouped by stages of change for physical activity and compared on demographics, self‐efficacy, and decisional balance using frequencies, correlations, t tests, ANOVA, and Tukey's post hoc test. Reported physical activity rate was higher than in other studies. Stage of change was positively associated with education, self‐efficacy, and decisional balance. Physical activity characteristics were positively associated with educational level. Authors concluded that a mailed questionnaire is a feasible means of collecting pre‐intervention, physical activity data for designing educational programs.