Cognitive Weighting of Constraints on Exercise Participation: A Conjoint Analysis

This study examines how adults with recent exercise participation experience cognitively weigh different perceived constraints on exercise participation and whether these weighting structures can be used for meaningful segmentation. The sample included 283 adults aged 19 years and older who had engaged in exercise at least once per week for a minimum of 30 min over the past three months. This study aimed to identify the relative importance of perceived exercise participation constraints among adult exercisers, examine differences according to involvement level, and segment participants based on constraint importance. The results showed that, within this sample, intrapersonal constraints, particularly lack of interest and physical fatigue, were the most influential, followed by structural constraints such as time and cost. Constraint prioritization varied by involvement level: highly involved individuals emphasized time burden, whereas less involved individuals highlighted a lack of interest. Cluster analysis identified four distinct segments: interest-constrained beginners, fatigue-sensitive participants, time-constrained active participants, and cost-sensitive experienced participants. These segments differed significantly in demographic and behavioral characteristics, including age, exercise frequency, and participation duration. Overall, the findings suggest that among adults with recent exercise participation experience, perceived exercise participation constraints are cognitively weighted and vary across individuals. This study contributes by applying conjoint analysis to assess the relative importance of multiple perceived constraints and by providing a segmentation-based perspective on how adult exercisers perceive constraints.