Personal and Situational Factors Affecting Exercise Involvement: The Importance of Enjoyment

Abstract

Interviews were conducted with continuing participants (n=51) and dropouts (n=60) from a male employee fitness program in order to investigate programmatic, personal, and social factors affecting involvement. It was found that a combination of items pertaining to reactions to the program, goals for initially joining the program, and social support for involvement in the program could effectively discriminate between the participant and dropout groups. Continuing participants scored higher than dropouts on the goals to develop recreational skills, to go out with friends, to satisfy curiosity, to release competitive drive and to develop social relationships. They also reported a greater increase in positive reactions to the program over their period of involvement in it than did the dropouts. Continuing participants rated the level of friendship within the exercise class higher and reported receiving more encouragement for involvement from their friends and work supervisor than did dropouts. Participants reported greater liking for the program activities than did the dropouts, while dropouts reported a greater dislike for the inconvenient program schedule. Implications of the results for program organization and conduct are discussed.