| Description |
The purposes of this descriptive, correlational, and cross-sectional study were to (a) determine whether constructs from the transtheoretical model (TTM) are applicable to Taiwanese family caregivers relative to regular physical activity and (b) explore the factors that affect constructs from the TTM (e.g., stages of change, self-efficacy, perceived benefits, and perceived barriers). One hundred eight primary family caregivers of mentally ill patients receiving home care from a psychiatric hospital in Tainan City, Taiwan, completed the questionnaire at home. Findings indicated that caregivers in later stages of the TTM (e.g., action or maintenance) had significantly higher levels of self-efficacy and perceived benefits of regular physical activity than those in earlier stages (e.g., precontemplation). There were no significant differences in the level of perceived barriers across the different stages. This study provides partial support for the hypothesized relationships between constructs derived from the TTM. The results also provide evidence for relationships between constructs from the TTM and some demographic variables (i.e., age, marital status, relationship to patient, perception of physical activity, the number of hours employed outside the home, the amount of time spent in caregiving, hours of physical activity for the past 2 weeks, and health perception). This study reveals that these demographic factors and cultural issues may play a critical role in physical activity behavior among Taiwanese family caregivers and need to be further investigated. |
