Physical activity intention-behavior gap during the COVID-19 pandemic: the moderating role of motivation and health-belief

The present study aimed to identify the psychological mechanism that moderates the physical activity intention-behaviour gap during the pandemic based on self-determination theory (SDT) and the health belief model (HBM). A retrospective, longitudinal survey design was adopted, with participants assessed in two waves (T1 and T2) at one-year intervals. Online questionnaires reflecting the context of the COVID-19 pandemic were developed to measure the intention to engage in physical activity (exercise), actual frequency, motivation (autonomous/controlled motivation), and health belief (perceived susceptibility). Of the 336 subjects who participated in the first survey (T1) with exercise intention and frequency, 194 responded to the second survey (T2) with exercise frequency and psychological characteristics (motivation and health beliefs). After data screening, a total sample size of 190 was used for the analysis. The hierarchical regression analysis showed that even in a controlled condition for past exercise intention and frequency, significant predictions were made for the current exercise frequency during the pandemic from controlled motivation and perceived susceptibility. The results also verified significant moderating effects, whereby the physical activity intention-behaviour gap decreased with highly controlled motivation but increased with high perceived susceptibility to infectious diseases in the COVID-19 context. The findings in this study suggest that the desire to be recognised for performing physical activities and the perception that participation in physical activity does not raise the risk of infection had a significant role in reducing the gap between physical activity intention during the pandemic.