Abstract
The Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) has been found to adequately explain exercise behaviour, although it has infrequently been applied to cardiac rehabilitation (CR) populations. The ability of the TPB constructs: attitudes, perceived behavioural control (PBC), subjective norm, and descriptive norms to predict intentions and self-reported exercise at baseline, end of CR, and 1-month post CR was assessed. Of the 114 participants recruited (male n = 89, female n = 25), 83 completed the end of CR assessment, and 63 the post-CR assessment. Multiple regression analyses were performed. The models to predict intention at baseline and end of CR were significant (p's < .0001, accounting for 55% and 59% of the variance), with PBC and subjective norms significant contributors at baseline, and attitudes, PBC, and subjective norms significant contributors at the end of rehabilitation. The model to predict exercise behaviour post CR was significant (p < .05, accounting for 16% of the variance), with intention the only significant predictor. The results indicate that the TPB may be useful to explain exercise in CR, but that the TPB may explain exercise intention better than behaviour. Future studies should determine if similar results are found with an objective measure of exercise behaviour.Acknowledgments: This study was funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada