Using framing and credibility to incorporate exercise and fitness in individuals' lifestyle

To investigate the influence of message framing and message credibility on one's attitude and intention toward exercise and fitness activities.

A sample of 136 respondents participated in the study. A 2 × 2 factorial design was utilized and tested using multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA).

The findings reveal the significance of source credibility for influencing both attitude and intention toward exercise and fitness activities. Additionally, the results reveal a significant impact of current lifestyle on attitude as well as intention toward exercise and fitness activities.

The findings suggest the importance of carefully designed messages to reach and affect a target population whose exercise activity has been largely unaffected despite years of public pronouncements and publicity.

Service marketers could most effectively encourage physical activity by utilizing highly credible sources in their messages. If high credibility sources cannot be secured, positively framed messages should be used.

The interaction effects of message framing and source credibility have received limited research attention, particularly in the exercise and fitness context.