Psychometric evaluation of the exercise self-efficacy scale among Korean adults with chronic diseases

The purpose of this study was to assess the psychometric properties, appropriateness, and demographic response patterns of an exercise self-efficacy scale for Korean adults with chronic diseases. After assessment of face validity by an expert Korean panel, 249 Korean adults with chronic diseases, ages 18-79 years, were recruited from hospitals or health centers in five Korean cities and surrounding rural areas to complete the questionnaire. In a factor analysis the original 18-item exercise self-efficacy scale converged to one factor without rotation and to three subfactors with rotation: situational/interpersonal factor, competing demands factor, and internal feelings factor. Descriptive analysis showed that Korean adults with chronic diseases perceived they had relatively low exercise self-efficacy, with the situational/interpersonal factor as the lowest factor. Exercise self-efficacy was significantly correlated with gender, education, regular exercise, and frequency of exercise. The exercise self-efficacy scale was shown to be a useful measure of exercise beliefs of Korean adults with chronic diseases.