The role of self-efficacy in various stages of exercise involvement among novice female runners

The literature regarding exercise adherence does not consider factors across various stages of exercise involvement among men and especially among women. Female novice runners (N = 41) enrolled in a running course designed to simulate stages of exercise adoption, compliance and adherence were studied to examine the relationship to self-efficacy to running. The adoption stage represents a formal attempt to adopt a running program after receiving information and a brief trial period. The compliance stage consists of participation in a supervised program. Continued running after supervision ceased was considered the adherence stage. Self-efficacy is a cognitive self-perception (confidence) concerning ability to perform a certain task. Self-efficacy is a function of other factors such as beliefs, expectations, previous experience, actual abilities, the influence of others, and success/failure with the task. A self-efficacy instrument was designed according to Bandura\u27s measurement specifications to measure confidence in their capability to run. Internal consistency on the instrument was.975. Self-efficacy measures and aerobic points were calculated over a 16-week period. Exercise involvement declined over time from 88% (N = 36) after the adoption stage to 44% (N = 18) at the end of the adherence stage. Self-efficacy scores however, increased from adoption through compliance stages and leveled off during the adherence stage. Average scores were computed for self-efficacy and running during each stage. Pearson product-moment coefficients were used to examine the relationship between self-efficacy and running in each of the three stages. There was a significant relationship between self-efficacy and running during the adoption (r =.368, p =.021) and the compliance (r =.342, p =.041) stages but not during the adherence stage (r =.329, p =.066). Linear regression was used to analyze the predictive relationship of self-efficacy during the adoption stage to running during the compliance stage. Adoption self-efficacy was significantly correlated with compliance running (F = 9.952, df 1,36, p =.003). No predictive relationship was found for compliance self-efficacy and adherence running. The relationships between self-efficacy and running were especially strong among those who eventually dropped out (N = 23). The findings suggested that self-efficacy is related to adoption and compliance stages of exercise involvement among dropouts and can predict whether they continue to exercise in an organized program. Self-efficacy may be used as an indicator of psychosocial changes during and exercise program so that strategies can be implemented to foster exercise involvement