Social Cognitive and Planned Behavior Variables Associated With Stages of Change for Physical Activity in Spinal Cord Injury: A Multivariate Analysis

Purpose: To apply the constructs of social cognitive theory (SCT) and the theory of planned behavior (TPB) to understand the stages of change (SOC) for physical activities among individuals with a spinal cord injury (SCI). Method: Ex post facto design using multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA). The participants were 144 individuals with SCI who completed an online SCT, TPB, and SOC for physical activities survey. Results: Participants in the preintender, intender, and actor groups differed significantly in functional disability, secondary health conditions, exercise self-efficacy, perceived benefits and barriers, intention, and physical health. Conclusion: Findings support the concept of stage-matching exercise and physical activity cognitive behavioral interventions for people with SCI.