The health belief model and adherence with a community center-based, supervised coronary heart disease exercise program.

Some investigators have concluded that health beliefs do not influence the maintenance of coronary heart disease (CHD) exercise adherence. However, the beliefs tested have not been specific to CHD nor exercise. In addition, much of the research has been atheoretical. We conducted a retrospective study to explore the possible utility of the Health Belief Model (HBM) for explaining attendance at a supervised CHD exercise program, based in a community center. Two dimensions of the model, general health motivation and perceived severity of CHD, were associated with attendance in the theoretically predicted direction, while a third dimension, perceived benefits of exercise, was associated in a direction opposite that predicted by the model. The model as a whole accounted for 29% (adjusted R2) of the variance. This study provides some initial evidence that health beliefs are associated with CHD exercise adherence.