Attitudes, knowledge, and beliefs as predictors of exercise intent and behavior in schoolchildren

Physical education programs represent an important gateway for encouraging young people to develop life-long exercise habits. In this study of middle school students (N = 603), attitudes toward physical education, knowledge about the benefits of exercise, and beliefs about one's abilities were assessed to determine their influence on exercise intent and current exercise behavior. As predicted, perceived benefits of exercise, current exercise behavior, attitudes toward physical education, self-esteem, and gender contributed significantly and independently to exercise intent (total variance explained = 37%). Exercise intent, outside sports activities, perceived benefits of exercise, gender, and attitudes toward physical education contributed significantly and independently to current exercise behavior (total variance explained = 27%). Programs that make attending physical education a pleasant experience and that explain specific benefits of exercise can influence exercise intent and can enhance students' sense of self-esteem, both of which may increase future exercise behavior.