Self-efficacy and turnover intention among personal trainers in commercial fitness clubs: The mediating role of job burnout

Jianping Li, Yihao Li, Weihong Wang, Zongwei Liu and Liwei Yuan

PLOS ONE, 2026, vol. 21, issue 10, 1-17

Abstract: Although personal trainers (PTs) play an important role in promoting physical activity and providing individualized exercise guidance, their occupational well-being and retention in commercial fitness clubs have received limited scholarly attention. This study examined the association between self-efficacy and turnover intention among PTs and investigated whether job burnout mediated this relationship. A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 565 fitness-club employees who were actively providing personal-training services, including trainers with concurrent supervisory or managerial responsibilities. Confirmatory factor analysis indicated that the measurement model demonstrated acceptable fit, and reliability and validity tests supported the adequacy of the measurement instruments. Correlation analyses showed that self-efficacy was negatively associated with job burnout and turnover intention, whereas job burnout was positively associated with turnover intention. Bootstrap mediation analyses further indicated that job burnout served as an indirect mechanism linking self-efficacy to turnover intention, with emotional exhaustion showing the most consistent mediating role. These findings suggest that self-efficacy may be an important psychological resource associated with lower burnout and weaker turnover intention among PTs. From a practical perspective, strategies aimed at strengthening PTs’ self-efficacy, preventing emotional exhaustion, and reducing burnout may help improve staff retention in commercial fitness clubs.

Date: 2026
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:plo:pone00:0359775

DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0359775

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