“I might be fit, but I don’t feel like exercising†- perceived barriers to self-efficacy

Abstract

Background: The lack of physical activity (PA) among older adults cannot be fully explained by deteriorating objective health. As hypothesized by Social-Cognitive Theory, perceptions of somatic states play an important role for self-efficacy (SE) and for PA. Among older adults, self-rated health was found to be a stronger predictor of SE than objective health measures. Methods: This 3-wave study predicted SE and accelerometer-assessed PA in N=158 community-dwelling German adults aged 65+. The predictive value of objective or more general barriers for SE and PA (chair-raise test fitness, SF-36 pain, diagnosis with arthritis or arthrosis, falls within 12 months) were compared with perceived barriers (self-rated fitness, pain, illnesses and fear of falling). Findings: Perceived barriers had a stronger association with SE than objective or more general measures and indirectly predicted PA via SE (all bootstrapped 95% CI not including 0; controls were baselines, age, gender, education). Discussion: PA interventions might try to explicitly address participant’s perceived barriers for PA and test their amenability to individualized feedback about remaining PA capabilities to increase SE for PA among older adults with health issues.