Økt motivasjon for fysisk aktivitet blant personer med sykelig overvekt ett år etter deltakelse på lærings- og mestringskurs

Aims: The study aimed to describe the participants with regards to their motivation for physical activity, and to examine associations between sociodemographic variables and motivation for physical activity at the beginning of a patient education course and at one-year follow-up. Methods: The study had a longitudinal cohort design. Participants with morbid obesity attended a patient education course and comple­ted self-report questionnaires, including the Stages of Change-Exerci­se. The data were analyzed descriptively and with independent t-test, Chi Square test, Fisher's exact test, and logistic regression analysis. Results: Data from 69 participants were analyzed. Of these, 42 (60.9 percent) reported sustained high or increased motivation for physical activity between the beginning of the patient education course and the one-year follow-up, whereas 27 (39.1 percent) reported continuing low or decreased motivation. Higher education reduced the odds of being physically active at the beginning of the course, whereas employment increased the odds of being physically active at one-year follow-up. Conclusion: A majority of the participants showed a positive change in their motivation for physical activity, while a considerable minority remained physically inactive. Employment appears to be an important resource for promoting motivation for physical activity