Psychological Determinants of Physical Activity in Japanese Female Employees

Abstract

Psychological Determinants of Physical Activity in Japanese Female Employees: Yuko NISHIDA, et al. Department of Public Health, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine and Dentistry-To understand how psychological characteristics influence adoption and maintenance of physical activity/exercise, we conducted a crosssectional study among Japanese employees based upon the idea of stages of behavior modification. The study population consisted of 719 employees (male, 3 9 6 , f e m a l e , 3 2 3 ) f r o m f i v e m e d i u m -s i z e d manufacturing companies (50-200 employees) in Okayama Prefecture, Japan. The female response rate was 67.5% (n=218), among which 201 eligible female subjects (62.2%) were analyzed. The study questionnaire included demographic characteristics, physical activity/exercise measures, self-efficacy measures, and perceived benefit and barriers scales. Participants were asked to select the items that best described their current physical activity/exercise level from an 8-item questionnaire, and we converted their answers to the 5 stages of change according to a transtheoretical model of behavior change. Perceived benefit and barrier scales were classified into 7 factors (4 benefits and 3 barriers) by factor analyses. The relationship between psychological determinants and the stage of physical activity/exercise was examined by one-way analysis of variance. Only 10% of the subjects had moderate physical activity (in the action and maintenance stages) regularly. We found that selfefficacy, "weight control benefit", "physical barrier" and "time barrier" were psychological determinants of physical activity/exercise stages in female employees, and especially there was a consistent relationship between self-efficacy and the stage of physical activity/ exercise. Our data suggest that health education for Japanese female employees requires that health professionals should provide support for strengthening self-efficacy, show practical ways to increase physical activity in daily life, and provide broad and accurate information showing that physical activity/exercise have a good effect on health. (J Occup Health 2003; 45: 15-22)

Psychological Correlates of Physical Activity and Exercise in Japanese Male Employees

“…Such a small proportion, similar to the result of the females [Nishida et al (2003)], was probably due to the adoption of both the CDC/ACSM guidelines for health benefi t [Pate [Sasagawa Sports Foundation (2003)] that was classifi ed as moderate-intensity activity being recommended as do 30 minutes exercise on 5 days or more per week by CDC/ACSM guidelines [Pate et al (1995)]. As we have mentioned, regular exercise in Japan has been defi ned as exercise on 2 days or more per week in many surveys concerning physical activity/exercise [Society of Health Nutrition Information (2001); Sasagawa Sports Foundation (2003)], in which the people doing moderate-intensity activity such as walking 2 times per week were probably classifi ed as regular exercisers.…”

“…With regard to perceived benefi ts to exercise, the results of male subjects differed from those of the previous study for the females [Nishida et al (2003)]. "Social benefi t", "psychological benefi t" and "vital benefi t" were psychological correlates among men, whereas only "weight control benefi t" was among women.…”

“…Many studies found that self-effi cacy is an important psychological correlates of physical activity/exercise [Lechner & Vrise (1992); Marcus et al (1992); Gorely & Gordon (1995); Muto et al (1996); Nishida et al (2003);]. Our data revealed that self-effi cacy, "psychological benefi t", "social benefi t", "vital benefi t" and "physical barrier" were psychological correlates of the stage of physical activity/exercise for the male employees, especially self-effi cacy consistently related to the stages of physical activity/exercise.…”

“…"Social benefi t", "psychological benefi t" and "vital benefi t" were psychological correlates among men, whereas only "weight control benefi t" was among women. Items regarding "is competitive" and "feel more energetic", which contained in "psychological benefi t" factor among women [Nishida et al (2003)], formed "vital benefi t" factor independently among men and "vital benefi t" was a psychological correlate for men in stage change of physical activity/exercise. This fi nding is consistent with the results of Weingberg et al (2000) and Bourdeaudhuij et al (2002), which reported that "competition benefi t" and "social/energy benefi t" from exercise were more infl uential for men than women.…”

“…Physical activity and exercise are infl uenced by a variety of psychological, social and environmental variables, some of which are modifi able, including self-effi cacy, social supports, perceived benefi t, perceived barriers and enjoyments [Dishman & Sallis (1994); USDHHS (1998)], and these variables are considered to be correlates of the individual's stage of physical activity and exercise. We have previously reported relationships between physical activity/exercise and psychological correlates (self-effi cacy and perceived benefi ts and barriers) among female employees [Nishida et al (2003)] based upon TTM [Prochaska & Diclemente (1983); Marcus & Simkin (1994)], and we also provided some effective methods for improving physical activity/exercise to them. The present study attempted to examine the psychological variables to physical activity/exercise among male employees and to elucidate the gender differences by comparison with the results of the female [Nishida et al (2003)], and further to suggest effective methods of increasing of physical activity/exercise based on the results of the present study.…”