Health Coaching and Motivation: Using the Health Belief Model to Explain Fitness Facility Members’ Barriers to Practicing Healthy Behaviors
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Garrett, Amanda
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Abstract
Practicing healthy behaviors may potentially lessen the occurrence of chronic diseases. However, individuals may report barriers that prevent them from practicing healthy behaviors. The Health Belief Model is utilized as the theoretical framework to guide the research by exploring in what manner fitness facility members’ perceived barriers will influence their willingness to practice healthy behaviors. Using an instrumental case study design, the researcher conducted in-person focus group interviews with 11 fitness professionals within the George Mason University Recreation Department. Respondents reported various barriers to individuals’ healthy behaviors, including time commitment, lack of motivation, financial constraints, intimidation and fear of inconsistent adherence. To assist members in overcoming reported barriers, respondents’ views on the importance of a health coaching program were addressed. Various aspects of health coaching’s importance are conferred, including health coaching’s influence on motivation, traits of quality health coaches, benefits of health coaching programs, structure of the health coaching programs and implementation challenges. Within the structure of the health coaching programs theme, sub-themes that are discussed include frequency of health coaching program meetings, components offered within health coaching programs, costs of the health coaching programs and campus collaborations. The results will be utilized for future development and implementation of a health coaching program for Mason Recreation.
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Fitness, Motivation, Healthy behaviors, Health coaching, Health belief model, Healthy behavior adherence