Perceived Exercise Self-Efficacy, Benefits and Barriers, and Commitment to a Plan for Exercise among Jordanians with Chronic Illnesses

Abstract

Purpose: To explore Jordanian chronic illnesses patients' perceived exercise self-efficacy, benefits and barriers, and commitment to exercise planning, and to assess the relationship between those variables.

Design: Descriptive cross-sectional design.

Methods: Data were collected from a convenience sample of 402 outpatient Jordanians with chronic illnesses, using Exercise Self-Efficacy Scale, Exercise Benefits and Barriers Scale, and Commitment to a Plan for Exercise Scale.

Findings: The average BMI was 28.3, and exercise period 3.2 hours/ week. Participants reported moderate perceived self-efficacy (M= 47.5%, SD= 11.7), commitment to exercise planning (M=2.0/3, SD=0.3), exercise barriers (M=2.4/4, SD=0.3), and benefits (M=2.3/4, SD=0.3). Commitment to exercise planning had a significant correlation with barriers (r=0.11) and benefits (r=0.10). Self-efficacy was not found to correlate with other variables.

Conclusions: Even though participants reported higher perceived self-efficacy and commitment to exercise plan than that reported in literature, they were found to be overweight and inactive, which indicates the importance of such study. Exercise education programs are needed taking into considerations patients' individual differences. However, the broad grouping of diseases may not produce a homogenous sample, for which disease categories are recommended in future studies.

Clinical relevance: Patients with chronic illness need more encouragement to engage themselves in exercise practices. Exercise educational program for patients with chronic illnesses should consider patients' reported exercise benefits and barriers.

Keywords: Chronic illness; Commitment; Exercise; Jordan; Self-efficacy.