Personality, self-efficacy, and barriers to participation in a health promotion program

Organizations are increasingly becoming aware of the importance of fostering a healthy workforce. Health promotion programs, wellness programs that address a range of health-related behaviors, can be very beneficial for both employees and organizations, but only if the employees use them. Although corporations are offering such programs to employees, many individuals choose not to participate. The reasons for this non-participation are not yet fully understood, especially from a psychological perspective. The present study examined the relationship between perceived barriers to exercise and participation in a health promotion program, and the influence of self-efficacy and Five Factor Model personality traits on this relationship. It was proposed that personality would influence the perception of barriers to exercise and self-efficacy would moderate the relationship between barriers and participation. Hierarchical regression and multiple mediation analyses were conducted to test hypotheses regarding the relationships between personality, barriers, self-efficacy, and exercise-related outcomes. Results showed little support for the hypotheses but did allow for the expansion of knowledge in this particular area of research on exercise and health-related behaviors