The Investigation Of Exercise Self-efficacy And Regular Exercise Of The Elderly In Communities

ObjectiveTo describe the current situation of the elderly's regular exercise in communities; To measure the strengh of exercise self-efficacy among the aged; To analyze the relationship between exercise self-efficacy and regular exercise for the elderly in communities; To apply the self-efficacy theory to advance some suggestion for communities and direct the senior citizens exercise better.MethodsThe primary scale was based on the Excise Self-efficacy Scale developed by Cancer Prevention Research Center of USA, Resnick, Bandura. After trials, the investigation scale was offically formed. Participants were 1100 individuals, who live in He Ping district, Shen He district, Huang Gu district, Da Dong district and Tie Xi district, were over 60 years old, able to communication, could walk alone and were informed consent. They were asked to answer the questions included in the common status form, regular exercise form and the exercise self-efficacy scale through the "one-to-one, face-to-face" interview form May to Auguest 2007.1028 valid questionnaires were codified and analyzed by the software of SPSS11.5 to describe present condition of the elderly's regular exercise in communities. Through Logistic regression analysis, the difference was analyzed between regular exercise group and unregulated exercise group in aspect of demographic characteristics and self-efficacy to find out the relation of self-efficacy and regular exercise among the aged. Results817 of 1028 older adults could exercise regularly, 211 were not able to; men with higher income,education,exercise self-efficacy intensity and basic health can stick to regular exercise; and have significant differences comparing to those who are women, with lower income,education,exercise self-efficacy intensity and poor health(P<0.05). Through regression analysis, the exercise self-efficacy is the most effective factor.ConclusionThrough the investigation, the current situation of older adults' regular exercise in communities is not optimistic. Heath education.. should be improved especially for women senior citizens with lower income,education,exercise self-efficacy intensity and poor health. The self-efficacy theory should be applied to formulate intervening measure to increase their exercise self-efficacy intensity improve their situation of regular exercise and health status.