title: Efficacy of a self-directed behavioral health change program: weight, body composition, cardiovascular fitness, blood pressure, health risk, and psychosocial mediating variables.
abstract: This study assessed the efficacy of a comprehensive behavioral health program designed to promote self-initiated change in overweight healthy middle-aged adults (M = 49 years). Three treatment groups (total n = 25) differing in type of social support provided (i.e., group plus professional versus group plus peer versus group only) received 13 treatment sessions and 6 maintenance sessions scheduled over a full year. A self-directed change intervention taught several cognitive-behavioral techniques as they applied to exercise adherence, weight reduction/maintenance, and stress management. Combined treatment groups (n = 25) improved significantly more than an assessment only control group (n = 9) in weight, percentage body fat, cardiovascular fitness, exercise adherence, health-risk appraisal, chronic tension (MBHI, scale A), and systolic and diastolic blood pressure at both post-treatment and 6-month follow-up assessments. Self-motivation, group treatment attendance, and health-risk appraisal significantly related (r's = .30-.56) to several posttreatment and follow-up measures of behavioral health change. No significant differences were found among the three treatment groups on any of the outcome measures.
authors.affiliation: Graduate School of Psychology, Fuller Theological Seminary, Pasadena, California 91101.
authors.forename: P A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Clifford
authors.forename: S Y
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Tan
authors.forename: R L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Gorsuch
mesh_terms: D001007:Anxiety / Q000517:prevention & control; D001521:Behavior Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D001794:Blood Pressure; D001823:Body Composition; D015928:Cognitive Behavioral Therapy; D015444:Exercise; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D006293:Health Promotion; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009042:Motivation; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009765:Obesity / Q000628:therapy*; D010809:Physical Fitness; D012307:Risk Factors; D012944:Social Support; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D015431:Weight Loss