Community exercise programs: follow-up difficulty and outcome.
The use of follow-up assessments to determine maintenance following behavior change programs is widely recognized as essential. It is often difficult to contact all previous participants, and evidence from alcohol abuse programs suggests that data from those people most readily contacted are not representative of overall outcomes. This study examines the relationship between the difficulty of follow-up and the reported maintenance of regular physical activity 6 months after the completion of a community-based fitness program. Ninety percent of 372 participants were contacted, and those easier to contact reported a significantly greater amount of current exercise. It is concluded that as large a percentage of former participants as possible must be contacted in order to conduct meaningful follow-up studies.
Lee
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Owen
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D000328:Adult; D003153:Community Health Services; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010806:Physical Education and Training; D010809:Physical Fitness; D012107:Research Design