Effective Factors on exercise behavior of Female Workers: A Qualitative Approach based On Integrated Model of Planned Behavior and Self-efficacy

Exercise and physical activity is considered a health promotion behavior and behavior are influenced by complex factors.. Theory of planned behavior is a useful framework for understanding health behavior and integration of the theory with self-efficacy can increase the predictive power of the theory. This research is a qualitative approach based on the “Integrated Model of Planned Behavior and Self-efficacy”. Total 70 women aged between 20-45 works in industrial factories are chosen by purposeful sampling with maximum diversity to participate in focus group discussion. Credibility, dependability, confirmability and transferability were done. Data were analyzed by the conventional method of content analysis The majority of female workers attitude towards sport as a factor for mental and physical health and increase productivity and production. A number of women considered working and walking during the work as exercise. Dominant influence on society and culture on women exercise, importance of others such as wife and family, preference of group exercise within women were reported as women’s subjective norm. The most important barriers in women's exercise were motivation and laziness, impatience and fatigue, low opportunity, time and space limited access to sports facilities and locations and lack of money. Creating access to sports sites and facilities can increase the self- efficacy of women in the planning to exercise. Majority of female worker were not intending to do exercise in the coming months. By training the benefits of exercise and providing accessibility to exercise especially at work can move toward a health promotion goal in female workers.