Reasons attributed to omitting exercising: A population-based study

The purpose of the present study was to examine patterns of reasons attributed to not exercising in a population-based study of 2,298 Australians aged 18-78. A multinomial logistic regression on total number of reasons selected indicated that inactive individuals selected more reasons than active, women more than men, and young people more than old. Factor analysis on the reasons resulted in five categories. A multinomial logistic regression performed for each factor indicated that older individuals selected less External reasons, and less Internal-State reasons, but more Internal-Trait and Health reasons than other age groups. Women selected more Internal-State reasons than males. Sufficiently active individuals selected more External-Environmental but less Internal-Trait reasons than insufficiently active individuals. In-depth psychological techniques should be included in intervention programs geared toward changing thoughts about exercise. Understanding the functions served by beliefs about non-adherence may aid the attempt to develop appropriate interventions.