High-school Exercise Intention in Bangkok: An application of Health Belief Model

Abstract

The objective of this research is to study the intention teenagers’ exercise in Bangkok by applying the Health Belief Model. The data is collected with structured open-ended interviews with male and female teenagers aged between 12-18 years for 50 persons (25 male teenagers and 25 female teenagers). 75% of the sample group had the intention to exercise. 17.71% of the sample group recognized that if they do not exercise, they were at risk of becoming obese with unhealthy muscles (16.67%) and osteoporosis (13.54 percent). 46.67% of the sample group perceived severity of diseases caused by not exercising, loss of physical fitness, in the treatment of illness (45.16%), negative impacts on learning, family relationships, friends, society and mind (38%). All of the samples perceived that exercise makes good mental health, build good relationships with others (60.61%), and benefit to the body (43.36%). 69.70% of the sample groups had personality traits as barriers to exercise, such as laziness and lack of time (50.46%). 75% of the sample group was confident that they can exercise as they want and personal influences were cues to action of teenagers’ exercise.