Prospective examination of the Theory of Planned Behavior applied to exercise behavior during women's first trimester of pregnancy

Abstract

Research examining the psychosocial determinants of exercise behavior during pregnancy is mostly atheoretical and cross‐sectional. Thus, the purpose of this study was to prospectively examine pregnant women's exercise intention and behavior during their first trimester using the framework of the Theory of Planned Behavior (Ajzen, 1991). Participants were 104 pregnant women who completed measures of their exercise attitude, subjective norm, perceived behavioral control, intention, and behavior. Hierarchical regression analyses indicated that: (a) perceived behavioral control was a significant predictor of exercise behavior, and (b) attitude and subjective norm were significant predictors of exercise intention. The theory of planned behavior constructs may provide researchers with a conceptual framework for designing exercise interventions during pregnancy.