The relationship between exercise intention, behavioural plans, and exercise behaviour among Korean college students using the Health Action Process Approach (HAPA)

This study was tests whether action plan mediates the relationship between exercise intention and exercise behaviour, and whether this mediation depends on the level of action self-efficacy, maintenance self-efficacy, and action control, using the HAPA model. The participants were 467 university students (269 males, 198 females, mean age 20.99 ± 2.06 years) who completed measures assessing their exercise intentions, action plan, action self-efficacy, maintenance self-efficacy, action control, and exercise behaviour. Data were analysed using hierarchical regression procedures in terms of moderated mediation. The results showed that action plan partially mediated the relationship between exercise intention and exercise behaviour. Action control × maintenance self-efficacy interaction showed that the strength of exercise intention-exercise behaviour relationship progressed linearly through levels of action plan and maintenance self-efficacy. These findings imply that exercise interventions for university students should focus on simultaneously bolstering action plan, action control, and maintenance self-efficacy.