Survey on Physical Exercise Among Paramedical Students of Rafsanjan University of Medical Sciences Based on Stages of Changes Model and Its Association with Self-Efficacy in 2011-2012

Despite advantages of exercise، most students in various countries do not exercise adequately. Transtheoretical model has been identified as a comprehensive model for behavior change and self-efficacy is regarded as a fundamental structure of this model. Hence، in this study، physical exercise among paramedical students of Rafsanjan University of Medical Sciences based on stages of changes model and the association with self-efficacy have been evaluated. In this cross-sectional study، 284 paramedical students of Rafsanjan University of Medical Sciences participated. In order to gather information a questionnaire consisting of demographic data، exercise behavior and physical activity، exercise behavior level and self-efficacy was used. To examine the association between variables، Mann-Whitney U test، Kruskal-Wallis H Test and Spearman''s correlation coefficient (rs) were performed. On the whole، 81 males (28. 5%) and 203 females (71. 5%) with the mean age of 20. 23±2. 30 years participated. From 284 cases، 72 ones (25. 3%) were in precontemplation stage، 80 (28. 2%) in contemplation، 51 (18%) in preparation stage، 39 (13. 7%) in action stage، 15 (5. 3%) in maintenance stage، 20 (7. 0%) in advanced stage and 7 ones (2. 5%) were unknown. There were found significant association between self-efficacy and variables of stages of change (p<0. 001) and exercise behavior (p<0. 001). According to this study، self-efficacy plays an important role in exercise behavior. The association among student self-efficacy and the stages of exercise behavior change indicates an increase in student’s self-efficacy with progress of stage of behavior changes. These results suggest a mutual association between self-efficacy and physical activity.