Does Physical Activity Application Use Promote Self-Efficacy for Exercise? A Study Among Aged People

Abstract

The importance of sustained physical activity in healthy aging is well established. To achieve sustained physical activity and exercise, related self-efficacy is important. Hence, solutions to promote self-efficacy for exercise among aged people are urgently needed. Digital wellness technologies provide a potential solution, but research on their potential to promote self-efficacy for exercise is scarce and more research is needed. To address this need, this study investigates how effective is the use of a physical activity application in promoting self-efficacy for exercise among aged people. Self-efficacy levels were compared between three different time points: before taking the application into use and after 4 and 12 months of use. The results suggest that physical activity application use can be effective in promoting self-efficacy for exercise among aged people as there was an improvement in most of the self-efficacy items as well as in total self-efficacy already after 4 months of use and this improvement was sustained after 12 months of use.