Investigating Factors Affecting Behavioral Intention among Gym-Goers to Visit Fitness Centers during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Integrating Physical Activity Maintenance Theory and Social Cognitive Theory

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to the closure of many fitness centers and has significantly affected the behavioral intentions of gym-goers. This study aimed to determine factors affecting the behavioral intentions of gym-goers regarding fitness centers during the COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines by utilizing the Physical Activity Maintenance Theory within the framework of Social Cognitive Theory. A total of 1048 gym-goers voluntarily answered an online, self-administered survey comprising 68 questions. Structural Equation Modeling indicated that physical activity maintenance through understanding COVID-19 and self-motivation had the highest significant effect on behavioral intentions. Interestingly, life stress was found to have a significant negative direct effect on physical activity maintenance. The current study is one of the first to have analyzed factors affecting the behavioral intentions of gym-goers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Finally, the application of Physical Activity Maintenance Theory and Social Cognitive Theory in this study provided accurate predictors of behavioral intention. As a result, this integrated model could serve as a theoretical foundation that could be applied and extended to assess behavioral intentions among gym-goers during the COVID-19 pandemic worldwide.

“Having our say”: a micro-level perspective in understanding sports clubs’ membership and active participation

“…Membership association was significantly influenced by the role of the instructor, in meeting members expectations as to whether the club ethos as translated by the instructor (Burns et al , 2020) aligned with the needs and benefits sought by member. The role of instructors and or facilitators is also influential in shaping the setting where individuals engage in daily activities, while striving to achieve personal goals and health outcomes (Ong et al , 2022). Although sporting contexts may look similar, the contextual environment the instructor creates through their teachings appears to make a significant difference in terms of influencing participant outcomes related to their level of motivation, dropout and well-being (González-García and Martinent, 2019).…”

Factors Influencing Use of Fitness Apps by Adults under Influence of COVID-19

“…Despite the broad applicability of the TAM ( Figure 1 ), the model can be modified by adding external premises and theoretically sound elements, which can expand the predictive power of the model [ 32 ]. The self-determination principle has been widely used to help encourage physical activity in individuals, and intrinsic motivation represents an archetype of independent activity, where people are motivated by intrinsic motivation and are free to engage in activities independent of external factors [ 33 , 34 , 35 ]. According to self-determination theory, consumer motivation (the reason why a person engages in an activity) and consumer-aim (the purpose for this activity) is intently associated [ 36 ].…”

Analysis of Issues in Fitness Centers through News Articles before and after the COVID-19 Pandemic in South Korea: Applying Big Data Analysis

“…Looking at some related studies, Park and Kwon [12] conducted a survey of fitness center executives and managers in South Korea to verify the importance and performance of sustainable risk management for fitness centers. Ong et al [13] analyzed the preference of gym-goers in fitness centers in the Philippines during COVID-19, and in another study, Ong et al [14] investigated the factors influencing gym-goers' behavioral intentions towards fitness centers based on a self-report questionnaire. Some further examples of the qualitative research include the following: Myers et al [2] investigated the effects of COVID-19 on fitness centers from two perspec-tives, that of gym owners and clients, through interviews and observations.…”

“…Existing studies related to COVID-19 and fitness centers have mostly relied on qualitative analysis and survey-based cross-sectional analysis based on limited research topics. Examples of these studies include risk management analysis for sustainable development of fitness centers during COVID-19 [12], exploration of gym-goers' preference for fitness centers during COVID-19 [13,14], and phenomenological analysis of countermeasures for fitness centers [2,15]. Self-reported survey studies have limitations due to the problem of social desirability bias and acquiescence in terms of the response style.…”