Prediction of Adherence to a 9-Week Corporate Wellness Walking Program

Numerous studies have evaluated the effectiveness and efficiency of interventions to promote exercise and physical activity, and commonly the studies rely on the constructs of Self-efficacy theory and Theory of Planned Behavior, but few have used these theories to predict adherence to a walking program in corporate wellness setting.

The health and economic benefits of workplace wellness programs are well founded, but the favorable results only occur when employees choose to participate and adhere to these programs. And walking as exercise has been highlighted as a free and relatively low-impact form of exercise from which many health benefits can be accrued. The objective of this study was to use the Theory of Planned Behavior and Self-Efficacy Theory to predict whether participants adhered to a corporate wellness walking program.

The sample consisted of 110 faculty and staff at a private university who enrolled in a walking program through the university’s wellness center. Participants completed surveys at the beginning of the program. The surveys measured self-reported physical activity, as well as theoretical construct of self-efficacy and those related to the Theory of Planned Behavior—attitude, social norms, perceived behavioral control and intention.

Sixty percent of participants were found to meet the program’s goals. Self-reported physical activity (p = 0.036), barrier self-efficacy (p = 0.016), walking self-efficacy (p = 0.002), and intention (p < 0.001) were greater in those who met the goals than those who did not meet the goals of the program. Walking self-efficacy (p < 0.001), attitude (p < 0.001) and perceived behavioral control (p = 0.024) were all found to predict intention to walk and intention was a significant predictor of whether or not the participants met goals of the program (p = 0.022). This suggests behavioral interventions aimed at increasing participant self-efficacy and intentions could positively affect program adherence and the successfulness of a workplace wellness program.

In conclusion, this study found that the only significant predictor of adherence to the walking program was intention. Attitude, perceived behavioral control and walking self-efficacy were significant predictors of intention.

Article by Megan Flynn and Eric E. Hall, from Elon University, Elon, NC, USA.

Full access: http://t.cn/E4xx3NW

Image by Clive Griffiths, from Flickr-cc.