Development and Effects of Combined Exercise and an Exercise Habit Formation Program for Undergraduate Nursing Students

Abstract

Purpose: This study was conducted to develop and test the effects of a combined exercise and exercise habit formation program for undergraduate nursing students.Methods: A non-equivalent control group pre-post test design was used. The participants were 44 students (experimental group: 23, control group: 21) who had not done regular exercise for over 3 months before this study. The program was developed based on theory of planned behavior and the habit formation model. The program consisted of 24 sessions for 8 weeks and included combined exercise (aerobic exercise 30 minutes, resistance exercise 20 minutes, and flexibility exercise 10 minutes), exercise intention promotion strategy and exercise habit formation strategy (30 minutes, weekly). Data collection was done before, and immediately after the program: September 4 to October 29. Data were analyzed using t-test, paired t-test, <i>x</i>² test, Mann-Whitney U test, and Wilcoxon signed rank-sum test with SPSS/ WIN 21.0 program.Results: Exercise intention, exercise habit strength, exercise behavior, and physical fitness (cardiopulmonary endurance, muscle strength, and muscle endurance) were significantly better and stress and fatigue were significantly lower in the experimental group compared to the control group.Conclusion: The study findings indicate that the combined exercise and exercise habit formation program for undergraduate nursing students was effective and can be recommended as an intervention for improving healthy lifestyle of undergraduate nursing students.