Identifying Factors That Motivate People to Continue Hill-Walking for Their Psychological and Physical Health Promotion

Abstract

Background: This study aims to identify factors that motivate people to continue hill-walking to promote their psychological and physical health. Methods: Three males and 20 females participated in a one-year health promotion program, including 12 hill-walkings in 2012 - 2013. Questionnaires were given each time, in which we asked, using 4-point-scale, degrees of expectation for motivational factors such as enjoying scenery, exercising in nature, interaction with people and refreshing their mind before walking and degree of satisfaction with them after walking. Findings: Expectation for factors such as scenery varied each time (mean value ranged 3.07-3.71). Its post-walking satisfaction was significantly lower than pre-walking expectation one day (p<0.05). Expectation for improving physical condition remained low (overall mean value 3.11). However, the satisfaction with interaction with people was consistently high (mean value 3.44 to 3.80), and significantly greater than the pre-walking expectation twice (p<0.05 and p<0.01). Discussion: While environmental and physical factors are unstable as motivation, social factors may play a key role for people to continue hill walking.