A Study Of Psychological Factors For Urban Elderly People’s Physical Exercise Behavior With Transtheoretical Model

Demographers pointed out that the21st century will be the century of global aging. According to the sixth national census results,8.87%of the total number of people aged more than65, the average life expectancy reached74.83years old. The old who get rid of the dual pressures of work and family, make physical exercise become an indispensable part of their lives. The key is making it scientific, rational, effective and comprehensive. Understand the psychological factors that influence the behavior of the elderly exercise is the first step to intervene it. Regarding exercise behavior change as a dynamic process containing different stages, Trans-theoretical Model (TTM) is composed of4factors which are altered stage, balance decision, changing process and self-efficacy. TTM can explain inherent mental mechanism of stage change of physical exercise behavior greatly. Using the method of interviewing with20senior citizens, referring to interviewing results, the four scales of TTM were revised in the thesis. Then600aged persons in6main urban districts of Xi’an city participated questionnaire survey by using cluster random sampling method, and479valid questionnaires were adopted. Then ANOVA and discriminant analysis were used to dispose data.And the result was showed as:1The exercise stage of the aged was divided into3stages, earlier stage of action, action stage and maintains stage.2Throughout the stages of change, perceived barriers is decreasing, perceived benefits and self-efficacy are increasing3Self-liberation and dramatic relief have a large contribution in the stage of change. Self-reevaluation and consciousness raising have a large contribution in the stage before exercise. Counter conditioning and helping relationship have a large contribution in the action stage and maintenance stage.4With the transition from the stage before exercise to the action stage, and the action stage to the maintenance stage, the influence of consciousness raising and self-reevaluation is reducing, the influence of self-liberation, dramatic relief and helping relationship is raising, the influence of counter conditioning in the action stage is higher than the other stages.