Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42352717›Full record

ReviewBehavioral sciences (Basel, Switzerland)2026

Perceived Capability, Social Belonging, and Behavioral Adherence in Adult Group Fitness Classes: A Systematic Review of Psychosocial Predictors.

Xiaoxue Gao, Yong-Gwan Song, Yu Shu, Ana Filipa Silva, Gianpiero Greco

Abstract readReview
In one paragraph

Review in Behavioral sciences (Basel, Switzerland), 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors.

Xiaoxue GaoGraduate School of Physical Education, Pukyong National University, Busan 48513, Republic of Korea.
Yong-Gwan SongGraduate School of Physical Education, Pukyong National University, Busan 48513, Republic of Korea.ORCID 0000-0002-7047-6173
Yu ShuSchool of Physical Education and Health, Sichuan Technology and Business University, Meishan 620000, China.
Ana Filipa SilvaFaculty of Sport Sciences and Physical Education, University of Coimbra, 3040-256 Coimbra, Portugal.ORCID 0000-0002-1772-1272
Gianpiero GrecoDepartment of Translational Biomedicine and Neuroscience (DiBraiN), University of Study of Bari, 70124 Bari, Italy.ORCID 0000-0002-5023-3721

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectivesThis systematic review identifies and synthesizes quantitative evidence regarding whether psychosocial constructs, specifically groupness, social support, self-efficacy, enjoyment, and instructor behavior, are associated with behavioral adherence to adult group fitness classes.

methodsElectronic searches were conducted in PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science. Eligible studies included quantitative analyses of adults in instructor-led group exercise. Risk of bias was appraised using ROBINS-I, and JBI critical appraisal tools, as appropriate to study design.

resultsTwenty-one studies met inclusion criteria. Self-efficacy was the most consistently supported domain, with several behavior-specific efficacy measures showing small-to-moderate positive associations with attendance-based adherence, although null findings were also observed when measures were less temporally aligned or when outcomes shifted to post-program continuation. Social-relational and instructor-related constructs showed more context-dependent evidence: social attraction, social cohesion, reliable alliance, group identification, and selected leader behaviors were more consistently favorable than generic social support or broad cohesion measures. Enjoyment and affective response showed the weakest independent evidence, with positive associations mainly when affective constructs were measured close to the attendance decision. Adherence in instructor-led group exercise settings appears to be influenced by perceived capability, social-relational processes, instructor-shaped motivational climate, and affective valuation, although the available evidence is heterogeneous and predominantly observational. Future research should use multilevel longitudinal designs, instructor- and class-level clustering, repeated affective assessment, and causal pathway modeling to test how these mechanisms support repeated attendance and longer-term maintenance.

Indexed as

exercise adherencegroup behaviorgroup fitnessself-efficacysocial support

Identifiers

PMID42352717
PMCPMC13295748

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.