The health action process approach to promote regular physical activity among people with disabilities: A hierarchical regression analysis.

OBJECTIVE

People with disabilities continue to cope with high levels of stress, such as disability-related stress and sociopolitical stress. Helping people with disabilities engage in regular physical activity to improve health and reduce stress is more important than ever. This study evaluated demographic covariates, the health action process approach (HAPA) constructs (action self-efficacy, outcome expectancy, risk perception, intention/commitment, maintenance and recovery self-efficacy, and action and coping planning), and positive person-environment variables (autonomous motivation, resilience, hope, and social support) as motivators for regular physical activity in a sample of people with disabilities.

METHODS

People with disabilities participated in an online study (N = 266). Hierarchical regression analysis was used to determine the incremental variance in physical activity scores accounted for by variables in the regression model.

RESULTS

Demographic covariates, HAPA constructs, and positive person-environment variables accounted for 38% of the total variance in physical activity scores (a large effect size). Low income was a risk factor that significantly and negatively associated with regular physical activity, while self-efficacy, action and coping planning, and social support were significantly and positively associated with reular physical activity after controlling for other variables. Autonomous motivation, resilience, and hope were significantly associated with regular physical activity at the zero-order correlation level, but not significant in the regression model.

CONCLUSIONS

This study provides strong empirical support for the HAPA constructs, which can be used to inform the development of theory-driven and empirically supported physical activity interventions to improve health, stress management, and well-being of people with disabilities. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved).