Predicting exercise behaviors and intentions of Taiwanese urban high school students using the theory of planned behavior

Purpose: This study applied the Theory of Planned Behavior to predict exercise behaviors and intentions of teenagers and analyzed sex differences. Design and methods: A prospective study design was employed to survey tenth-grade students in Taipei, Taiwan. The 951 participants reported their exercise attitudes, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control (PBC), and intentions, and their exercise behaviors were tracked 6 months later. Results: Results revealed that 22.1% of all students and more male students than female students exercised for ≥30 min/day on 5 or more days/week. Hierarchical multiple regression analyses demonstrated that intentions, PBC, attitudes, and subjective norms explained 32.5% of the variation in exercise behavior (p < .001). Intentions, attitudes, and PBC were related to exercise behavior regardless of sex. Attitudes, subjective norms, and PBC explained 67.0% of the variation in intentions (p < .001). Attitudes and PBC were related to intentions regardless of sex. Conclusions: The findings support that the main constructs of the Theory of Planned Behavior can effectively predict regular exercise intentions and behaviors among adolescents. Practice implications: The results can serve as a reference for nurses and other healthcare professionals when formulating effective strategies to encourage adolescents to engage in exercise practices.