Collegiate Athletes’ Perceptions of a Smartphone Application and Factors that Enhance Adherence to Physical Therapy Home Exercise Programs

Physical therapy patients have difficulty adhering to home exercise programs prescribed by physical therapists. It is unknown whether smartphone applications would enhance adherence in collegiate athletes. In this mixed-methods study, two hypothetical vignettes were designed. The standard practice vignette described how physical therapists typically present home exercise programs to patients. The smartphone vignette described how physical therapists could present home exercise programs via a smartphone application which incorporated features for increasing self-presentational concern (e.g., patients know that physical therapists can monitor adherence) and self-efficacy (i.e., patients’ belief that they are able to do the exercises). Participants were collegiate athletes (Mage = 19.6 years) who read the standard practice (n = 19) or smartphone (n = 22) vignette then responded to items measuring self-efficacy and intentions to adhere. Participants also answered open-ended questions about adherence. T-tests revealed no significant difference between the groups’ self-efficacy (p = .32) or intentions to adhere (p = .14). Content analysis of qualitative data revealed factors relevant to adherence (e.g., check-ins, available resources, goals, time) which can inform the development of smartphone applications. The results of this study imply caution in investing resources towards the development of smartphone applications without evidence that they improve adherence beyond standard practice.

Grantor dc:publisher

SUNY Brockport Department of Kinesiology, Sport Studies, and Physical Education

Year dc:date.issued

2025

Author dc:creator

• Sooy, Laken

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Beasley, Vista

• physical therapy
• exercise adherence
• smartphone application
• self-efficacy
• behavioral intentions

Language dc:language.iso

en_US

Handle dc:identifier.uri

https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12648/83149

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:soar.suny.edu:20.500.12648/83149