Self-Efficacy to Engage in Physical Exercise and Walking Ability Best Predicted Exercise Adherence after Stroke

To describe exercise preferences and to investigate the contribution of exercise preferences, walking ability, and current levels of physical activity in predicting exercise adherence in individuals with chronic stroke.

For this exploratory study, exercise adherence was measured using the first question of the first section of the Exercise Preference Questionnaire (stroke)-Brazil (EPQ (stroke)-Brazil). Nine independent variables were included as potential predictors of exercise adherence: the seven factors of the EPQ (stroke)-Brazil, walking speed, and level of physical activity.

Participated 93 individuals with stroke, who had a mean age of 62 (SD 12) years and a mean time since the onset of the stroke of 58 (SD 67) months. The most preferable exercise was walking. Logistic regression analysis revealed that self-efficacy to engage in physical exercise and walking ability predicted and explained 80% of the variance in exercise adherence.

The findings showed that feeling able to perform physical exercise and having higher walking ability predicted higher exercise adherences in individuals with chronic stroke. The knowledge of potential contributors to exercise adherence may help in designing exercise programs for individuals with stroke.