Barriers to Physical Activity in an On-Site Corporate Fitness Center

Many corporations provide employees the option of participating in on-site fitness centers, but utilization rates are low. Perceived barriers to physical activity have been established as important correlates of physical activity, and recent research indicates that barriers may vary across settings....

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of occupational health psychology 2008-10, Vol.13 (4), p.371-380
Main Authors: Schwetschenau, Heather M, O'Brien, William H, Cunningham, Christopher J. L, Jex, Steve M
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adult
Business Organizations
Employee Attitudes
Environment
Exercise
Female
Fitness Centers
Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice
Human
Humans
Male
Middle Aged
Motivation
Motor Activity
Organizational Behavior
Personality Inventory
Physical Activity
Professional Corporations
Psychosocial Factors
Social Environment
Workplace
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Summary:Many corporations provide employees the option of participating in on-site fitness centers, but utilization rates are low. Perceived barriers to physical activity have been established as important correlates of physical activity, and recent research indicates that barriers may vary across settings. Work-site fitness centers may present unique barriers to participation, but there are currently no standardized measures that assess such barriers. Eighty-eight employees of a midwestern corporation completed a survey designed to identify and evaluate the extent to which barriers influence participation in an on-site corporate fitness center. Regression analyses revealed that external environmental barriers (e.g., inadequate exercise facilities) significantly accounted for not joining the fitness center, and for decreased duration of visits to the facility among members. Internal barriers (e.g., feeling embarrassed to exercise around coworkers) significantly accounted for frequency of fitness center visits among members. This corporate specific measure may lead to more effective interventions aimed to increase use of on-site corporate fitness centers.
ISSN:1076-8998
1939-1307
DOI:10.1037/1076-8998.13.4.371