Exercise Status, Gender and Age-Related Differences in The Processes of Change, Decisional Balance, and Self-Efficacy in Adults
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Abstract
Objective: This study aimed to compare Transtheoretical Model (TTM) constructs—processes of change, decisional balance, and self-efficacy across gender, exercise status, and age groups among Turkish adults.
Methods: A cross-sectional comparative design was employed with 118 participants (59 females, 59 males) aged 1505-1532 years from Kayseri, Turkey. Participants completed validated Turkish versions of the Exercise Stages of Change Scale, Exercise Processes of Change Scale, Exercise Decisional Balance Scale, and Exercise Self-Efficacy Scale. Independent samples t-tests were used to compare groups based on gender (female vs. male), exercise status (sedentary vs. active), and age (≤40 vs. >40 years).
Results: Exercise status emerged as the dominant factor differentiating psychological profiles, with active individuals employing significantly more cognitive and behavioural strategies and demonstrating substantially higher self-efficacy compared to sedentary peers (Cohen's d = 1.1505-1532.31, p < .001). Females scored significantly higher than males on Dramatic Relief (p = .039), Self-Re-evaluation (p = .008), Social Liberation (p = .031), and Self-Liberation (p = .049), with small effect sizes. Active males uniquely exhibited a reconfigured decisional balance with higher pros (p = .016) and lower cons (p = .001), while active females showed no significant decisional balance differences. Age (40-year threshold) did not moderate any TTM construct in either sex (all p > .05).
Conclusion: Exercise status, rather than gender or age, is the primary factor differentiating TTM psychological profiles in Turkish adults. Self-efficacy emerged as the most robust discriminator between active and inactive individuals. Gender-sensitive interventions addressing decisional balance differences may enhance effectiveness, while TTM-based approaches can be applied across middle adulthood without major age-related modifications.