Do self-efficacy, exercise benefits and barriers, and demographic factors have the same effects on the physical activity across the gender?

Abstract

<p>Session presented on: Friday, July 26, 2013:</p> <p><strong>Purpose:</strong> While health indices of smoking, hypertension, and diabetes among Korean adults have improved during the last 10 years, physical inactivity and obesity were getting worse. The purpose of this study was to determine whether self-efficacy, exercise benefits and barriers, and demographic factors have the same effects on the physical activity level across the gender.</p> <p><strong>Methods:</strong> A cross-sectional analysis of the baseline data was conducted to examine 70 sedentary white-collar workers (35 male, 35 female) from a major airline company in Korea participating 8-week workplace physical activity intervention. Steps were measured using a Yamax CW-700/701 pedometer. Simultaneous quantile regression was used to identify the degree of homogeneity in the effects of self-efficacy, exercise benefits and barriers, and demographic factors on level of physical activity.</p> <p><strong>Results:</strong> For male workers, exercise self-efficacy had a significant effect on physical activity, but only when respondents were at 10% (3431 steps/day, ?=109.0, p=.018) and 25% (4653 steps/day, ?=78.9, p=.044) quantiles. For female workers, marital status was significantly related to physical activity, but only when respondents were at 10% (3537 steps/day, ?=-2316.4, p=.013) and 25% (3862 steps/day, ?=-2286.3, p=.014) quantiles.</p> <p><strong>Conclusion:</strong> This study findings highlight the heterogeneous physical activity determinants among white-collar workers. Therefore intervention strategies for increasing physical activity should be tailored to gender as well as degree of physical activity level.</p>