Correlates of physical activity change in patients not attending cardiac rehabilitation.

Objective: Limited research has identified theoretical correlates of physical activity (PA) change in patients not receiving cardiac rehabilitation. The purpose of the present study was to determine whether changes in self-efficacy, PA intention, perceived severity and susceptibility, and PA benefits/barriers were associated with changes in PA over a 12-month period in these patients.

Methods: Patients (N = 555) not attending cardiac rehabilitation completed a psychosocial questionnaire in hospital and 6 and 12 months after hospitalization for a cardiac event.

Results: Hierarchical regression analyses showed that the increase in PA from baseline to 6 months was significantly related to an increase in self-efficacy and PA intentions and a decrease in the impact of health-related barriers. Furthermore, the decrease in PA from 6 to 12 months was significantly related to a decrease in health-related benefits and PA intentions and an increase in time and health-related barriers. Finally, the increase in PA from baseline to 12 months was significantly related to an increase in health-related benefits and intentions and a decrease in health-related barriers.

Conclusions: Changes in PA levels over a 12-month period were associated with changes in various theoretical variables. Interestingly, the associations among these variables with PA varied as a function of time after hospitalization.