<p>The purpose of this dissertation was to develop an understanding of physical activity behaviour and to promote physical activity participation among individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI) within the context of the theory of planned behaviour (Ajzen, 1985). Using a "bottom-up," programmatic research approach, this three-study thesis involved (1) validating a new measure of physical activity that is appropriate for use among individuals with SCI, (2) identifying theoretically meaningful, psychosocial predictors of physical activity participation in the SCI population, and (3) implementing and testing a theory-based intervention focused on helping people with SCI follow through with their physical activity intentions. Specifically, Study 1 examined the construct validity of the Physical Activity Recall Assessment for Individuals with SCI (PARA-SCI). An assessment of convergent validity (n = 73) and construct validation by extreme groups (n = 158) provided evidence of the construct validity of the leisure time physical activity (LTPA) PARA-SCI category but not the lifestyle or cumulative activity PARA-SCI categories. It was concluded that the PARA-SCI is suitable for assessing LTPA among individuals with SCI and should be used to advance research examining physical activity determinants. Using the LTPA PARA-SCI category as a primary outcome, the purpose of Study 2 was to examine determinants of physical activity among people with SCI (n = 110) within the context of the theory of planned behaviour (Ajzen, 1985). This prospective study revealed that attitudes, subjective norms and perceived behavioural control (PBC) predicted physical activity intentions while intentions, but not PBC, explained a small amount of the variance in LTPA. The poor prediction of behaviour suggested a need to investigate whether strategies that facilitate the translation of intentions into behaviour can serve to strengthen the intention-behaviour relationship. Study 3 utilized a randomized, controlled design to examine the efficacy of an 8-week implementation intention intervention as a means of helping individuals with SCI (n = 53) follow through with their intentions for physically active living. The results indicated that participants who formulated implementation intentions (i.e., the implementation intention condition) spent more time engaged in physical activity and were more likely to enact their intentions than individuals who did not create implementation intentions (i.e., the control condition). Further, participants in the implementation intentions condition had stronger intentions and greater confidence to schedule their physical activity than participants in the control condition, suggesting that implementation intentions may influence cognitions related to physical activity. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)</p> / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:mcmaster.ca/oai:macsphere.mcmaster.ca:11375/7459 |
| Date | 06 1900 |
| Creators | Latimer, Amy E. |
| Contributors | Martin, Kathleen A., Human Biodynamics |
| Source Sets | McMaster University |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | thesis |
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