Spouse intention to encourage cardiac patient participation in exercise.

Abstract The aim of this study was to identify factors that influenced the intention of spouses to encourage cardiac patients to attend exercise classes. A sample of 134 spouses completed questionnaires investigating variables specified in the theory of reasoned action (Fishbein and Ajzen). Multiple regression was used with intention to encourage exercise participation as the outcome. Independent variables included: attitude toward helping, subjective social norm regarding helping, perceived efficacy of providing help, approval of patient exercising, and perceived outcomes (costs and benefits) of patient participation. Subjective social norm and approval were the only significant predictors of intention to encourage participation (R(2) = 0.41, p<0.0001). This suggests that interventions to improve spouse support for cardiac patient exercise be directed at the spouse social role rather than attitudes toward helping.