Impact of Two Short Behavioral Theory-Driven Professional Training Programs Targeting Attendance in Fitness Centers: Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial
试验速览
- 阶段
- 不适用
- 状态
- 进行中（未招募）
- 发起方
- 入组人数
- 174
- 试验地点
- 1
- 主要终点
- Club attendance
研究概览
简要总结
Over recent decades, leading theories of human behavior have been applied across various physical activity (PA) settings, yielding mixed results. While they have provided some valuable insights, they have largely failed to achieve one central aim - to help foster sustained, population-wide increases in PA (Albarracín et al., 2024; Ekkekakis & Zenko, 2016; Pratt et al., 2020; Rhodes et al., 2019). This gap has prompted concern, as these theories, despite some support for their assumptions, have not translated into meaningful and lasting behavior change. Some have criticized them for their overarching dependency on the decisional balance one may perform given the right set of conditions (e.g., supportive social environments; benefits vs. barriers dyad; self-efficacy appraisal) (Conn et al., 2011; Ekkekakis, 2017; Rhodes et al., 2019); others have pointed to an astonishing lack of experimental efforts testing the expression of those theoretical assumptions (Ekkekakis et al., 2019; Manninen et al., 2022; Ntoumanis & Moller, 2025), leaving researchers, policymakers and stakeholders (and the theories) hostage to cross-sectional and longitudinal evidence. Either way, new approaches and experimental efforts to address the challenge of supporting PA practices are warranted and urgent.
Three of the most studied motivational theories in PA contexts over the last decades are the Theory of Planned Behavior (Ajzen, 1991), Self-Determination Theory (Deci & Ryan, 1985), and the Transtheoretical Model (Prochaska & DiClemente, 1984) (Ntoumanis et al., 2018; Simpson et al., 2025). Without minimizing their usefulness and robust body of evidence, they fall into the category of theories that have struggled, to date, to demonstrate moderate or large effects in programs aiming to improve exercise-related behavior based on their assumptions. Naturally, the complexity of each theory or model brings several challenges that undermine the extent to which we can confidently attribute any limited effect observed in an experimental study solely to the theory's inability to express its assumptions. As such, despite decades of research grounded in several (conceptually) well-established behavioral theories, there remains a need to test their assumptions through experimental approaches and, complementarily - or if necessary, alternatively - to explore new avenues for inquiry and theoretical development (Simpson et al., 2025).
To this end, the present study will address this issue experimentally using two theoretical approaches. The first approach is grounded in a well-established theory of human motivation, Self-Determination Theory (SDT), which offers numerous recommendations for its potential application, particularly in promoting positive impacts on exercise adherence. The second approach is structured in alignment with the general principles of hedonic theory, a recently revitalized approach to the understanding of Human behavior, focusing on the promotion of pleasurable responses during exercise.
研究设计
- 研究类型
- Interventional
- 分配方式
- Randomized
- 干预模型
- Parallel
- 主要目的
- Treatment
- 盲法
- Single (Participant)
入排标准
- 年龄范围
- 18 Years 至 —（Adult, Older Adult）
- 性别
- All
- 接受健康志愿者
- 是
入选标准
- •Professionals
- •- All exercise professionals in the three clubs
- •> 18 years old
- •All exercisers enrolled in the three clubs
- •A subsample of the first 174 voluntaries participating in the study and enrolled in the three clubs after September 1st
排除标准
- •Expulsion of the clubs due to internal rules violation or other decision independent of this study
结局指标
主要结局
Club attendance
时间窗: Collected on the last day of each month, and averaged after a one-year period (September 1st to August 31st)
Club attendance during a one-year period collected with the turstile digital system
次要结局
- Attrition rate(Number of total cancellations or dropouts for each month, collected through the turstile digital record and club payment system, summed throughout 12 months)
- Exercise habit measured with the Self-reported behavioral automaticity index (SRBAI) - Baseline(Baseline; after club enrollment, in the first two weeks of September 2025, at any given time)
- Initial behavioral intention to continue exercising; the intention to exercise questionnaire - Baseline(Baseline; after club enrollment, in the first two weeks of September 2025, at any given time)
- Exercise habit measured with the Self-reported behavioral automaticity index (SRBAI) - 6 months(After 6 months of enrollment; first two weeks of February, at any given time)
- Exercise habit measured with the Self-reported behavioral automaticity index (SRBAI) - 12 months(After 12 months, during the last week of August 2026, at any given time)
- Exerciser basic psychological needs satisfaction and frustration; the BPNSFS questionnaire - 6 months(After 6 months of enrollment; firts two weeks of February, at any given time)
- Behavioral intention to continue exercising; the intention to exercise questionnaire - 6 months(After 6 months of enrollment; first two weeks of February, at any given time)
- Behavioral intention to continue exercising; the intention to exercise questionnaire - 12 months(After 12 months, during the last week of August 2026, at any given time)
- Exerciser basic psychological needs satisfaction and frustration; the BPNSFS questionnaire - Baseline(Baseline; after club enrollment, in the first two weeks of September 2025, at any given time)
- Exerciser basic psychological needs satisfaction and frustration; the BPNSFS questionnaire - 12 months(After 12 months, during the last week of August 2026, at any given time)
- Exerciser behavioral regulation; the BREQ-4 questionnaire - Baseline(Baseline; after club enrollment, in the first two weeks of September 2025, at any given time)
- Exerciser behavioral regulation; the BREQ-4 questionnaire - 6 months(After 6 months of enrollment; firts two weeks of February, at any given time)
- Exerciser behavioral regulation; the BREQ-4 questionnaire - 12 months(After 12 months, during the last week of August 2026, at any given time)
- Exercise enjoyment measured with the Physical Activity Enjoyment Scale (PACES) - Baseline(Baseline; after club enrollment, in the first two weeks of September 2025, at any given time)
- Exercise enjoyment measured with the Physical Activity Enjoyment Scale (PACES) - 6 months(After 6 months of enrollment; firts two weeks of February, at any given time)
- Exercise enjoyment measured with the Physical Activity Enjoyment Scale (PACES) - 12 months(After 12 months, during the last week of August 2026, at any given time)
- Subjective exercise experience - Baseline(Baseline; after club enrollment, in the first two weeks of September 2025, at any given time)
- Subjective exercise experience - 6 months(After 6 months of enrollment; firts two weeks of February, at any given time)
- Subjective exercise experience - 12 months(After 12 months, during the last week of August 2026, at any given time)
研究者
Diogo Teixeira
Professor
Grupo Lusófona