Motivational and Volitional Correlates of Physical Activity in Participants Reporting No, Past, and Current Hypertension: Findings from a Cross-Sectional Observation Study.

PURPOSE: The study investigated differences in motivational and volitional correlates of physical activity in persons who reported currently having hypertension, had hypertension in the past, or had no hypertension by using the health action process approach as a theoretical background. METHOD: Self-reported data from 512 participants (71.9% women; M age = 46.83 years; SD age = 13.77; M BMI = 24.89; SD BMI = 4.71) were analyzed using multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA), analysis of variance (ANOVA), and post hoc comparisons of groups to determine differences in motivational and volitional correlates for physical activity between groups followed by analysis of covariance (ANCOVA). Additionally, χ 2 statistic was used to analyze differences in the distribution of behavioral stages between groups. RESULTS: Participants with hypertension reported a higher perceived vulnerability (d = 0.99) and lower action planning (d = 0.32) and self-efficacy (d = 0.30) compared to those who indicated no hypertension. Their perceived vulnerability was also higher compared to those who indicated past hypertension on the mean level (d = 0.60). Significant main effects for all independent variables were found when controlling for gender and HAPA stages with main effects for perceived vulnerability, action planning, and self-efficacy. Participants with current hypertension were more prominent in the intender stage, whereas participants with past hypertension were more likely to be in the actor stage. Participants with no hypertension at all were equally distributed across the intender and actor stages. CONCLUSION: The study contributes to the understanding of differences in motivational and volitional correlates of physical activity in persons who reported different hypertension statuses.

Testing principle working mechanisms of the health action process approach for subjective physical age groups.

This study investigated differences in social-cognitive predictors and self-regulatory planning, as proposed by the health action process approach (HAPA), across three different subjective physical age groups for physical activity. With a cross-sectional design, 521 participants across the chronological age span from 25 to 86 years (M = 48.79; SD = 12.66) were separated into three groups: those who feel physically younger than they are in terms of chronological age, the same perceived and chronological age, and feeling physically older compared to their chronological age. Participants were assessed regarding their perceived vulnerability, outcome expectancies, general intentions, planning, self-efficacy, and stages of physical activity (non-intenders, intenders, and actors). Data were analysed via mean comparison and multigroup structural equation modelling. Mean differences for all but one construct were eminent in all groups, generally showing that those feeling physically younger also report better social-cognitive predictors of physical activity (e.g. lower perceived vulnerability) in comparison to those who feel the same age or older. The model showed that basic working mechanisms of the HAPA can be applied to all groups. With that, the results provide for the first time evidence that principle working mechanism of the HAPA can be applied to all subjective physical age groups. These may be used to tailor health promoting interventions according to participants' needs as a more suitable proxy than chronological age.