Exercise Self-efficacy, Perceived Benefits, and Barriers to Exercise among Patients following Acute Myocardial Infarction

Abstract

Background Increasing patient adherence to regular exercise post acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is a major goal after hospitalization. It is therefore essential to identify perceived benefits and barriers to exercise and its association with exercise self-efficacy among patients post AMI. Aims The purpose of this study was to identify the perceived benefits and barriers to exercise and the predictors of exercise self-efficacy among patients after AMI. Methods A cross-sectional study design was used with a convenience sample of 254 patients, recruited from the 3 main hospitals in Jordan. Instruments included the Exercise Benefits and Barriers Scale and the Exercise Self-Efficacy Scale. Mean scores were computed to determine the perceived benefits and barriers responses. Multiple linear regression was conducted to explore the predictors of exercise self-efficacy. Data were collected over 5 months. Results The greatest perceived benefits were related to personal factors, for example, "I enjoy exercise"(2.45 [0.98]), and physical performance, for example, "My muscle tone is improved with exercise"(2.44 [0.86]) and "Exercise increases my stamina"(2.43 [0.86]). The greatest perceived barriers were related to environmental barriers, for example, "Lack of exercise places"(2.67 [0.82]), and internal factors related to physical exertion itself, for example, "Concerned about getting tired during exercise participation"(2.65 [0.72]). The Exercise Self-Efficacy Scale showed that patients post ST-elevation AMI had higher exercise self-efficacy than those with other treatment modalities (AMI, 44.71 [19.07] vs 36.59 [17.34]; P =.001). Patients treated by primary percutaneous coronary intervention had higher exercise self-efficacy, 49.2 (18.61), than patients treated by thrombolysis and percutaneous coronary intervention, 39.28 (18.3), and patients treated by medications other than thrombolytic therapy, 36.59 (17.4) (F2,251 = 11.612, P =.001). The multiple linear regression model explained approximately 29% of the variance in exercise self-efficacy (F11,242 = 7.914, P