Dr.Biol., Professor S.I. Loginov
Postgraduate students S.G. Sagadeeva, A.Yu. Nikolaev
Surgut State University, Surgut

Key words: physical activity, motor activity, motivation, intention, transtheoretical model, students.

Introduction. Physical activity (PhA) is structurally heterogeneous and combines the full range of muscle actions of man aimed at adaptation and survival in the physical and social environment [1, 3]. Different types of PhA, namely industrial, household and practical, sports and athletic, recreational and leisure, have different impacts on the human body [5, 6] and need to be studied basing on generally accepted behavioral theories and well-designed experimental plans [3].

We regard physical activity as a specific form of human behavior that largely determines the state of his health. In this case, determinants and contributing factors (correlates) on which the change of physically low active behavior depends can be quite clearly identified and subjected to a comprehensive analysis [4]. It is conventional to consider physiological (physical development, physical fitness, physical deviations), environmental (availability of equipment and space for physical exercise, seasonality, safety), psychological, social, demographic characteristics (self-efficacy, knowledge and beliefs, influence of parents and friends, role modeling, level of education and culture in general, socio-economic status, gender, age) as PhA determinants. They manifest themselves in different ways during student years, interact, complement each other or, alternatively, start a competitive relationship.

A number of review articles are dedicated to analysis of PhA determinants of students and other population categories [2, 9, 14]. However, for successful identification of the determinants and contributing correlates it is necessary to use only those methods the effectiveness of which is proven based on rigorous scientific principles after randomized controlled trials (RCT) [12]. In this regard, there is still a lot of work to be done in the sphere of evidence-based pedagogics of physical activity.

It is known that PhA contributes to health improvement either directly or indirectly [5]. However, the paradoxical fact is that being aware of the benefits of exercise (PhA), many people continue to be physically inactive and have a sedentary lifestyle. Undeveloped intention may be one of the reasons of such behavior. This term refers to a psychological state when it is necessary to transfer motive to action. And such a transfer may be realized and the need will be satisfied, or it is possible that for some reason it will not be realized and the need will remain to be a motive.

Identification and elimination of the reasons hampering the development of intention largely become the key points in involving students in regular physical exercises (regular PhA) and serve as the purpose of the present study.

Materials and methods. 465 first-year students of Surgut State University (experimental group) and 240 first-year students (control group), 705 persons in total aged 17.8±0.2 years were involved in the study. Prior to the start of administrative psychological and pedagogical action (APPA) and after it 402 students (151 males and 251 females) and 266 students (67 males and 199 females) completely filled out the TTM questionnaire of PhA, respectively, modified by the authors [4] for Russian speakers. The control group consisted of 240 first-year students of medical, psychological and engineering departments, of which 211 people (100 females and 111 males) also completed the TTM questionnaire. The rate of response was 87.9%. Frequency of physical exercise (times/week) and duration of sessions (minutes/session), number of students at each stage of motivational readiness (SMR) for behavior change (%), the balance of decision-making (DMB), processes of behavior change and self-efficacy (T-score) were measured before and after APPA. The validity of Russian subtests determined by the “test-retest” procedure ranged within 0.81–0.84. Indicators of descriptive statistics, normalization of the primary experimental data and multiple analysis of variance as well as correlation analysis were performed using Statistica10.0 software. The significance of the observed differences was assessed using Wilcoxon test, Tukey’s HSD as well as Fisher’s ratio test and Student’s t-test for dependent samples.

The choice of TTM is not accidental and was determined by the fact that the theory combines the current behavioral status with intention of a person to maintain or modify it according to some model behavior [13]. The theory consists of 4 structural elements (constructs): the stage of motivational readiness, the processes of modification, the balance of decision-making and self-efficacy. It is conventional to identify five stages of motivational readiness for behavior change: precontemplation, contemplation, preparation, action and maintenance of the changed behavior [12]. With respect to PhA, people that are not engaged in physical culture (PhC) and do not intend to be engaged in it within the next six months are at the stage of precontemplation. Those at the stage of contemplation are not engaged in PhC but would like to start within the next six months. At the stage of preparation people exercise now and then. The stage of action includes individuals who currently exercise 3 or more times per week, for 30 minutes or more, at a frequency corresponding to their age and physical fitness, but for less than six months, while the maintenance stage involves the above-mentioned regular exercise [7, 10]. All the TTM constructs are studied in detail with regards to changes of the level and structure of physical activity of students in the monograph of the authors [3].

Results and discussion. Change of the stages of motivational readiness (SMR). It was found that prior to APPA 10% of all the students regardless of gender did not exercise and were not going to in the nearest future (stage 1: Precontemplation); 31% of the students did not exercise in their free time but were going to do it within the next six months (stage 2: Contemplation); 21% of the students exercises irregularly, from time to time (stage 3: Preparation); every fifth student regularly dedicated his free time to PhC, however for less than six months (stage 4: Action) and 18% did it regularly for over six months (stage 5: Maintenance).

After APPA the pattern looked as follows: 12, 12, 16, 26 and 34%, respectively. The number of students who were at the stage of contemplation (stage 2) reduced significantly, and the number of those at the stage of maintenance (stage 5) significantly increased. In general, 61.2% of students in the sample who were at the first three stages of motivational readiness had a sedentary lifestyle before APPA. APPA reduced the number of “sedentary” students to 39.4%. After APPA the number of young men significantly increased only at stage 5, while the pattern of allocation of young females in the stages of behavior change in general matched the pattern of overall allocation. The number of young females who were at the stage of contemplation (stage 2) significantly decreased (compared with the control group and values prior to APPA), and the number of those at the stage of regular exercise (stage 5) significantly increased.

In the control group, the number of students allocated by the stages of motivational readiness looked as follows: 13.7; 26.4; 20.3; 19.3 and 20.3%, respectively. In general, by the end of the experiment 60.4% of the control group students were at the first three stages of behavior change, while in the experimental group the share of such students was 39.4% only.

Change of the balance of decision-making (DMB). This construct reflects the process of weighing all the “pros” and “cons” while putting the intention to exercise regularly into practice.

Prior to APPA the number of all the “pros” among young men significantly increased (p=0.0003) from stage to stage (1 <2 <3 <5) according to Tukey’s HSD test, while all the “cons” remained the same (p=0.2744). After APPA all the “pros” significantly changed during the first two stages of behavior change (p=0.0505), and all “cons” did not change significantly (p=0.2638). Multiple analysis of variance (MANOVA) showed that DMB strongly depended on the stage of behavior change (coefficient Rao R (8, 290) = 3.54; p<0.0006). In case of young females all “pros” increased from stage to stage prior to APPA (p<0.05), Rao R (8, 490) = 3.62 (p<0.0004), except the preparation stage (1 <2 <4 <5). All the “cons” remained the same (p=0.1424).

The total of all the “pros” in the control group also significantly increased from stage to stage for both young men and females (p=0.0003), but the number of “cons” did not decrease. The process strongly depended on the stage of change (Rao R (8, 210) = 3.27; p<0.0015).

Thus, these data suggest that only the total “pros” significantly increase under the influence of APPA for both young men and females; these arguments persuade to do physical exercises, as their benefit is obvious. At the same time the total of the “cons” changes to a lesser extent and suggests that considerable efforts should be focused on creating conditions of the learning process that would lead to removal or at least reduction of prejudices (psychological barriers) against physical exercises.

From this viewpoint APPA did not have a considerable impact on the stage of awareness of the need to change behavior. The level of social liberation increased at the stage of maintenance only. Relief and environment reassessment changed for the better at the stage of precontemplation and were considerably less at the stage of maintenance. After APPA while changing behavior at the stage of contemplation the students sought other people's help more often, but during the following stages mutual assistance decreased. Development of new conditioned reflexes did not take place to the proper extent, their reinforcement and incentives control remained weak at the stages of precontemplation and action, self-liberation was least impostant at the stage of contemplation. Other changes, despite the increase of the absolute values of performance from stage to stage and the positive dynamics compared with the data prior to APPA, were insignificant.

Results of multiple analysis of variance and the comparative test Tukey’s HSD, as well as qualitative characteristics of APPA effect versus control are presented in Table 1. The degree of influence of APPA was defined based on the F coefficient. It was assumed that when F ranges 1- 5, the effect is small; when it ranges 5.1 – 10 – the effect is medium; when it is over 10 – the effect is significant.

Insignificant effect of APPA was observed for social liberation, elimination of discomfort during exercise (relief), all “pros” and mutual assistance. The average effect was found for self-efficacy, awareness of the need to change behavior, environment reassessment, development of conditioned reflexes and control of distracting influences. APPA had a considerable influence on all “pros” index, self-reassessment and self-liberation. These data indicate that the students change because of their motivation and their readiness to change their behavior. In this case, the level of physical activity can be modified by using targeted administrative psychological and pedagogical action.

Table 1. Influence of APPA on the characteristics of cognitive and behavioral strategies of students’ behavior changes according to one-way analysis of variance and Tukey’s HSD comparison test

Legend: ТТМ stages: 1 – precontemplation; 2 – contemplation; 3 – preparation; 4 – action; 5 – maintenance; APPA effects: S – small, M – medium, L – large

APPA influence on self-efficacy. According to TTM self-efficacy is the degree to which an individual believes that he can achieve the goal of change. It is an important intentional mediator between an intention and an action [12]. APPA we conducted revealed a tendency of increasing self-efficacy levels of students. The interrelation between the expectation of the effectiveness of physical exercises and regular engagement in training sessions increased with changes in behavior associated with involvement in physical culture. These results match those of other authors who also revealed a link between physical exercises and expectation of effectiveness [11]. Students that are at the maintenance stage reported the highest level of self-efficacy compared to those students that were at the lower stages of behavior change.

Conclusion. The approach to the assessment of physical activity of students on the basis of behavioral theories suggested by the authors can significantly extend the ideas of experts on adaptive and recreational physical culture and take the next step in the formation of the evidence-based pedagogics of physical activity.

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Corresponding author: apokin_vv@mail.ru