Group Cohesion in a Formal Exercise Program Composed of Predominantly Older Men

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Exercise Science
• Behavioral Health

Background:

• High group cohesion is linked to sustained participation in group exercise.
• The Physical Activity Group Environment Questionnaire (PAGEQ) is a validated measure of group cohesion.
• The PAGEQ has not been previously tested in older adult male populations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the internal consistency and usability of the PAGEQ in older men.
• To explore the relationship between group cohesion and participation in a group exercise program for older male veterans.

Main Methods:

• The PAGEQ was administered to 40 U.S. military Veterans participating in the Walk A Mile or More (WAMM) exercise program.
• Demographic information, exercise frequency, and duration of participation were collected.
• Internal consistency was evaluated using Cronbach's alpha.

Main Results:

• The PAGEQ demonstrated excellent internal consistency with an overall Cronbach's alpha of 0.976.
• No statistically significant relationship was found between group cohesion scores and the frequency of WAMM session attendance.
• A trend indicated that longer participation duration was associated with higher perceived group cohesiveness, particularly task-related cohesion.

Conclusions:

• The PAGEQ is a reliable and easily administered tool for measuring group cohesion in older men.
• Findings suggest group cohesion may be more related to the duration of participation than frequency in this demographic.
• The PAGEQ serves as a valuable tool for future gerontological research on exercise adherence.