Exercise among blue-collar workers: Application of the theory of planned behavior

The purpose of this study was to identify cognitive Predictors of blue-coll ar workers' (N = 468) intention to exercise and their self-reported exercis e behavior. The theory of planned behavior (TPB) provided the framework for the study. A cross-sectional sample of skilled and unskilled workers from the physical facilities department of a large, Midwestern state university completed a questionnaire containing measures of attitude, subjective norm, perceived behavioral control, intention, and self-reported leisure exercis e behavior. Structural equation modeling demonstrated that workers' attitud e toward exercise and perceived behavioral control explained 61.7% of the v ariance of intention, whereas intention and perceived behavioral control ex plained 51.3% of the variance of exercise behavior. Subjective norm was not a significant predictor of intention to exercise. The findings support the use of the TPB in identifying cognitive factors that explain exercise beha vior and suggest that interventions to promote exercise behavior in blue-co llar workers should address their attitude toward exercise and their percep tions of behavioral control. (C) 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.