PREDICTORS OF EXERCISE ADHERENCE FOLLOWING PARTICIPATION IN A CARDIACREHABILITATION PROGRAM

Patients who participate in cardiac rehabilitation programs (CRF) expe rience significant improvements in quality of life, rehospitalization rates, and mortality associated with cardiovascular disease. The poten tial efficacy of CRP is limited however, by significant program dropou t rates and poor patient adherence to prescribed exercise regimens fol lowing rehabilitation. Recently, models of motivational readiness for behavior change, such as the Transtheoretical Model, have been applied to understanding the process of exercise adoption and maintenance. In terventions based on this dynamic model of behavior change have produc ed significant improvement in adherence to exercise in community and w orksite populations. This study investigates the applicability of this model to this special population. Sixty-two men and women completed m easures of motivational readiness, self-efficacy, and decisional balan ce for exercise adoption upon entry into a 12-week cardiac rehabilitat ion program at posttreatment and at a 3-month follow-up. Patients made significant gains during CRP in time spent exercising and self-effica cy, but not in utilization of the cognitive processes or in the percei ved benefits of exercising. Exercise maintenance at follow-up was diff erentially associated with self-efficacy, decisional balance, and use of behavioral processes at posttreatment. Motivation-based models of e xercise adoption may provide insights regarding the adoption and maint enance of regular physical activity in cardiac rehabilitation populati ons.