Understanding exercise in the context of chronic disease: an exploratory investigation of self-efficacy

Self-efficacy is an important factor influencing exercise behavior in samples of students and the general population; however, few studies have examined the relevance of self-efficacy in understanding exercise in the context of chronic disease, wherein exercise is integral to treatment rather than a leisure pursuit. Further, the influence of disease factors, e.g., pain, on performance of therapeutic exercise is unknown. The present purpose was to examine the role played by self-efficacy in a sample of 169 people with one type of arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis. This painful, disabling and progressive condition has an early age of onset and thus necessitates adherence to therapeutic exercise over long periods of time. Analysis showed that concurrent severity of disease had a greater influence on exercise self-efficacy than past attainment. There was no evidence that self-efficacy mediated outcomes. Similar to findings for healthy people, respondents uniformly valued exercise but did not translate these beliefs into action.