Exercise behavior change and the effect of lost resources

This study teas designed to assess the effects of lost resources on exercis e behavior among a sample of 30 foreign exchange students who were identifi ed as having experienced a relapse in their level of physical activity. The first phase of the study was longitudinal in nature, comparing baseline da ta collected from a sample of 110 exchange students from Malaysia on their initial arrival in England with data collected from the same sample 4 month s later. Results of a multivariate analysis of variance indicated a sip sig nificant effect for scores on processes of change, self-efficacy, and decis ional balance, F(12, 18) = 12.74, P <.001. Subsequent examination of univar iate F values also revealed significant differences for self-reevaluation, reinforcement management, self-liberation, and self-efficacy. Results from the second phase of the study, which qualitatively assessed the relationshi p between reductions in physical activity and personal/material resources, revealed that exercise behavior was significantly influenced by resources l ost as a result of being in an unfamiliar environment. Implications for hea lth promotion practitioners and researchers are discussed.