Abstract
This study investigated the relative and combined effectiveness of the Canadian Home Fitness Test (CHFT) and Health Hazard Appraisal (HHA) to modify (1) intention to exercise with and without knowledge of the results and (2) intention and behavior to exercise over 3 months. The 200 subjects were randomly attributed to groups, either (1) physical-fitness evaluation (PF), (2) appraised health age (HA), (3) physical-fitness evaluation and health-hazard appraisal (PF-HA), or (4) control (C), The immediate impact on the intention to exercise of passing one and/or the other tests, without knowledge of the results, was not significant. With knowledge of the results, the intentions of the PF and PF-HA groups differed from those of the C group. This effect disappeared after 3 months. There was no significant impact on exercise behavior over 3 months. The results indicated a short-term motivational effect from being informed of CHFT results. Maintaining this effect might require intervention on a long-term basis.
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
Avoid common mistakes on your manuscript.
References
Ajzen, I., and Fishbein, M. (1980).Understanding Attitudes and Predicting Social Behavior, Prentice-Hall, Englewood Cliffs, N.J.
Bruce, R. A., DeRouen, T. A., and Hossack, K. F. (1980). Pilot study examining the motivational effects of maximal exercise testing to modify risk factors and health habits.Cardiology 11–119.
Colburn, H. N., and Baker, P. M. (1973). Health hazard appraisal—A possible tool in health protection and promotion.Can. J. Public Health 64: 490–492.
Desharnais, R., Noreau, L., Landry, F., and Moutillet, M. (1983). Evalue * vie: Son efficacité persuasive au plan des intentions de prendre une action prëventive, Document inédit, Université Laval, Quebec.
Dishman, R. K., Sallis, J. F., and Orenstein, D. R. (1985). The determinants of physical activity and exercise.Public Health Rep. 100: 158–171.
Driggers, D. A., Swedberg, J., Johnson, R., Lie, E., Ross, S., Duval, C., and Fink, C. (1984). The maximum exercise stress test: Is it a behavior-modification tool?J. Family Pract. 18: 715–718.
Emory, M. L. (1974). Health hazard appraized: The health counsellor's tool. InProceedings of the 10th Annual Meeting of the Society for Prospective Medicine, Methodist Hospital of Indiana, Indianapolis, pp. 31–32.
Fitness Canada (1984).Canadian Standardized Test of Fitness, Fitness and Amateur Sport, Government of Canada, Ottawa.
Godin, G., and Shephard, R. J. (1985). A simple method to assess exercise behavior in the community.Can. J. Appl. Sport Sci. 10: 141–146.
Godin, G., and Shephard, R. J. (1986). Psychosocial factors influencing intentions to exercise of young students from grades 7 to 9.Res. Q. Exercise Sport 57: 41–52.
Godin, G., Cox, M. H., and Shephard, R. J. (1983). The impact of physical fitness evaluation on behavioral intentions towards regular exercise.Can. J. Appl. Sport Sci. 8: 240–245.
Godin, G., Jobin, J., and Bouillon, J. (1986). Assessment of leisure time exercise behavior by self-report: A concurrent validity study.Can. J. Public Health 77: 359–362.
Hsu, D. H. S., and Milsum, J. H. (1978). Implementation of health hazard apparisal and its impediments.Can. J. Public Health 69: 227–232.
Jetté, M., Cambell, J., Mongeon, J., and Routhier, R. (1976). The Canadian home fitness test as a predictor of aerobic capacity.Can. Med. Assoc. J. 114: 680–682.
Lauzon, R. R. J. (1977). A randomized controlled trial of the ability of HHA to stimulate appropriate risk reduction behavior. InProceedings of the 13th Annual Meeting of the Society of Prospective Medicine, Calif, pp. 102–103.
Leppink, H. B., and DeGrassi, A. (1977). Changes in risk behavior: A two-year follow-up study. InProceedings of the 13th Annual Meeting of the Society of Prospective Medicine, Health Education Resources, Calif., pp. 104–107.
Leventhal, H. (1965). Fear communications in the acceptance of preventive health practices.Bull. N. Y. Acad. Med. 41: 1144–1168.
Leventhal, H., Singer, R., and Jones, S. (1965). Effects of fear and specificity of recommendation upon attitudes and behavior.J. Personal. Soc. Psychol. 2: 20–29.
Milsum, J. H., Laszlo, C. A., and Prince, P. (1977). A pilot evaluation of introducing health hazard appraisal in a community health centre environment. InNew Concepts of Health: A New Horizon, Proceedings of the 12th Annual Meeting of the Society of Prospective Medicine, pp. 92–102.
Robbins, L. C., and Hall, J. H. (1970).How to Practice Prospective Medicine, Methodist Hospital of Indiana, Indianapolis.
Shephard, R. J. (1979). Current assessment of the home fitness test.S. Afr. J. Sport Sci. 2: 19–35.
Shephard, R. J., Bailey, D. A., and Mirwald, R. L. (1976). Development of the Canadian Home Fitness Test.Can. Med. Assoc. J. 114: 675–679.
Shephard, R. J., Corey, P., and Cox, M. (1982). Health hazard appraisal -the influence of an employee fitness program.Can. J. Public Health 73: 183–187.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
This work was supported by a research grant from Fitness Canada.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Godin, G., Jobin, J., Desharnais, R. et al. The impact of physical fitness and health-age appraisal upon exercise intentions and behavior. J Behav Med 10, 241–250 (1987). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00846538
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00846538