Theoretical Assessment of Exercise Beliefs During Pregnancy

说明(申请人提供)：怀孕是一种特定的事件，往往会导致妇女体力活动减少；从而使这一特殊群体面临更高的几种慢性病和过早死亡的风险。然而，现有的检查孕期锻炼的研究在以下3个重要因素方面是有限的：(A)没有考虑到每个三个月的具体身体和心理需求的横断面评估；(B)对孕妇的非标准化和未经验证的锻炼措施；以及(C)对锻炼决定因素的非理论研究。在对孕妇实施有效的体力活动干预之前，有必要在理论框架内使用运动行为的标准化测量方法，在每个三个月期间前瞻性地检查妇女的运动信念和行为。这一方法将为实施针对每个三个月的身体和心理需求的运动干预提供理论基础。计划行为理论是理解和预测锻炼意向和行为的最有影响力和最成功的理论之一，因此将成为前瞻性地确定这一特殊人群的锻炼信念和行为的理论框架。这项应用的具体目标是：(1)确定每个三个月期间锻炼的规范性、控制性和行为信念。(2)确定信念是否预测每三个月的态度、感知行为控制和主观规范；(B)意图和感知行为控制预测每个三个月的锻炼行为；以及(C)态度、感知行为控制和主观规范预测每个三个月的锻炼意图。(3)检查每三个月的体力活动水平。(4)探索行为理论的潜在中介和调节因素。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Pregnancy is a specific event that often results in decreased physical activity for women; thereby placing this special population at increased risk for several chronic diseases and premature mortality. The existing research examining exercise during pregnancy is limited, however, with respect to the following 3 important factors: (a) cross-sectional assessments that do not capture the specific physical and psychological demands of each trimester; (b) nonstandardized and unvalidated measures of exercise with pregnant women; and (c) nontheoretical studies of exercise determinants. Before effective physical activity interventions are implemented with pregnant women, it is necessary to prospectively examine, during each trimester, women's exercise beliefs and behaviors using standardized measures of exercise behavior within a theoretical framework. This approach will provide the theoretical basis to implement exercise interventions specific to the physical and psychological demands of each trimester. The theory of planned behavior is one of the most influential and successful theories for understanding and predicting exercise intention and behavior, and will thus serve as the theoretical framework to prospectively determine the exercise beliefs and behaviors for this special population. The specific aims of this application are: (1) Determine the normative, control, and behavioral beliefs of exercise during each trimester. (2) Determine whether: (a) the beliefs predict attitude, perceived behavioral control, and subjective norm during each trimester; (b) intention and perceived behavioral control predict exercise behavior during each trimester; and (c) attitude, perceived behavioral control, and subjective norm predict exercise intention during each trimester. (3) Examine physical activity levels during each trimester. And (4) explore potential mediators and moderators of the theory of behavior.