Health action process approach for determining amount of physical exercise among Japanese workers

Abstract

is study examined the applicability of the health action process approachHAPAfor determining the prevalence of physical exercise among Japanese workers N2,200; 1,100 men and 1,100 women; Mean age39.89 years, SD10.44 , who participated in the study. ey completed a packet of questionnaires that included an assessment of socio-demographic variables, such as gender and age, a modiied physical exercise index, and an assessment of socio-cognitive variables, such as risk perception, outcome expectancies, self-eecacy, behavioral intention , and planning. Structural equation modeling using the maximum likelihood estimation method was employed to examine the HAPA. Results indicated satisfactory t indices GFI.997, AGFI.989, CFI.997, RMSEA.031. Moreover, results connrmed the applicability of HAPA, which explained 34% of the variance in physical exercise among Japanese workers. Each path between observed variables in the HAPA model had a sig-niicantly positive innuence on the corresponding variable, with the exception of the path from negative outcome expectancy to behavioral intention, which had a signiicantly negative eeect. It is concluded that the HAPA is a useful framework for identifying the determinants of physical exercise prevalence among Japanese workers.