THE HEALTH BELIEF MODEL AND ADHERENCE WITH A COMMUNITY CENTER-BASED, SUPERVISED CORONARY HEART-DISEASE EXERCISE PROGRAM

Some investigators have concluded that health beliefs do not influence the maintenance of coronary heart disease (CHD) exercise adherence. H owever, the beliefs tested have not been specific to CHD nor exercise. In addition, much of the research has been atheoretical. We conducted a retrospective study to explore the possibile utility of the Health Belief Model (HEM) for explaining attendance at a supervised CHD exerc ise program, based in a community center. Two dimensions of the model, general health motivation and perceived severity of CHD, were associa ted with attendance in the theoretically predicted direction, while a third dimension, perceived benefits of exercise, was associated in a d irection opposite that predicted by the model. The model as a whole ac counted for 29% (adjusted R(2)) of the variance. This study provides s ome initial evidence that health beliefs are associated with CHD exerc ise adherence.