Examining the applicability of the transtheoretical model to regular leisure-time physical activity for Taiwanese adults with mild intellectual disabilities

The purpose of this dissertation was to explore the applicability of the full Transtheoretical Model (TTM) to the regular leisure-time physical activity of adults with mild intellectual disabilities (MID) using a national sample of 121 Taiwanese adults with MID. The findings indicated that the concurrent validity of the Stage of Change scale using pedometer readings and the Bouchard 3-Day Physical Activity Records was not confirmed. This may be due to (a) the possible confounding effect of work-related physical activity, as the majority of participants were recruited from manual worksites; (b) the limitations of the selected physical activity measures that did not permit the distinction between work-related and leisure-time related physical activities; (c) the reliability and recording fidelity of the two selected physical activity measures; and (d) the inapplicability of the Stage of Change to describe physical activity behavior of Taiwanese adults with MID. The findings also revealed that the theorized pattern of association between the Stage of Change and the TTM psychosocial constructs were partially supported. Behavioral Processes of Change, Cognitive Processes of Change, and Self-Efficacy were important Stage of Change predictors, while Behavioral Processes of Change and Self-Efficacy were important psychosocial indicators of moderate and vigorous physical activity. This was the first study to examine the application of the Stages of Change to regular leisure-time physical activity for adults with MID, a unique and understudied population group, using the full TTM construct. Caution should be taken when generalizing these findings to adults with MID in other countries, other Taiwanese populations, or Taiwanese adults with moderate or more severe intellectual disabilities. Further investigations of the concurrent validity of the Stage of Change scale to regular leisure-time physical activity for this population are needed.