Table 2.
Standardized CFA loadings across the three samples on the 30-item MEX two-factor model
| Factor | Items | Sample 1 (n = 492) | Sample 2 (n = 302) | Sample 3 (n = 303) |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Benefits | Exercise helps me to have a positive outlook on life | 0.549 | 0.714 | 0.711 | |
| Exercise makes me feel more self-confident | 0.614 | 0.559 | 0.672 | ||
| Exercising gives me more energy | 0.634 | 0.683 | 0.783 | ||
| Exercise helps me to manage my stress | 0.673 | 0.805 | 0.795 | ||
| Exercise benefits my mental health | 0.605 | 0.722 | 0.786 | ||
| Exercise helps me to feel less angry or irritable | 0.588 | 0.727 | 0.645 | ||
| After exercising, I notice a decrease in my general level of worry and concern | 0.588 | 0.681 | 0.670 | ||
| Regular exercise makes feel me more mentally alert | 0.589 | 0.710 | 0.704 | ||
| Exercise helps me to feel motivated again | 0.602 | 0.626 | 0.696 | ||
| Exercise gives me an instant mood increase | 0.598 | 0.720 | 0.743 | ||
| Exercise makes me feel more energetic | 0.651 | 0.731 | 0.694 | ||
| Exercise helps me to cope with life's stresses | 0.660 | 0.768 | 0.813 | ||
| Exercise helps me manage my mood | 0.626 | 0.782 | 0.761 | ||
| Exercising changes my attitude | 0.633 | 0.668 | 0.668 | ||
| Exercise gives me a long term mood increase | 0.521 | 0.665 | 0.708 | ||
| Barriers | I'm too shy or embarrassed to start exercising | 0.803 | 0.759 | 0.798 | |
| I feel self-conscious about exercising | 0.656 | 0.704 | 0.762 | ||
| I'm worried exercise will hurt | 0.749 | 0.446 | 0.497 | ||
| I'm not confident in my ability to exercise | 0.784 | 0.795 | 0.808 | ||
| Mental exhaustion stops me from exercising | 0.762 | 0.787 | 0.798 | ||
| I worry that I would not be very good at exercising | 0.775 | 0.649 | 0.618 | ||
| Exercising can trigger feelings of anxiety for me | 0.786 | 0.733 | 0.800 | ||
| I feel embarrassed if people see me exercising | 0.785 | 0.486 | 0.498 | ||
| Some days I can't get out of bed, let alone exercise | 0.802 | 0.457 | 0.425 | ||
| I don't want to exercise because I don’t like how my body looks | 0.750 | 0.656 | 0.657 | ||
| I don't want to exercise when I am angry, or in a bad mood | 0.721 | 0.509 | 0.438 | ||
| I worry about what other people think of me exercising | 0.727 | 0.69 | 0.764 | ||
| My exercise or fitness goals seem too hard to achieve | 0.662 | 0.567 | 0.571 | ||
| I've failed to achieve too many exercise goals in the past | 0.775 | 0.614 | 0.515 | ||
| I'm scared of losing my breath while exercising | 0.731 | 0.491 | 0.513 | ||
All loadings statistically significant, p < .05