title: Comparison of stage-matched and unmatched interventions to promote exercise behaviour in the primary care setting.
abstract: This study examined the effectiveness of stages of change-based counselling for exercise delivered by nurses in four primary care centres. Two-hundred and ninety-four subjects enrolled, recruited from patients attending 30-min health checks. The average age of participants was 42.4 years (SD = 15.1) and 77% were female. Participants completed a questionnaire assessing stage of exercise adoption, self-efficacy and exercise levels. Each centre was assigned to either one of three experimental conditions or to a control condition. Participants were counselled accordingly, receiving either stage-oriented exercise materials with counselling (stage plus counselling), stage-oriented materials without counselling (stage no counselling), non-staged materials with counselling (counselling only) or the current level of advice (control). Sixty-one percent (n = 180) returned follow-up questionnaires. When baseline differences in self-efficacy, age and gender were controlled for, there was no significant group or interaction effect for stage. There was a significant time effect (F = 3.55, P = 0.031). Post hoc analyses showed that significant differences were between baseline and 2 (t = -3.02, P = 0.003) and 6 months (t = -2.67, P = 0.009). No changes in self-efficacy and exercise levels were observed. Stage-based interventions were not superior to the other interventions. All single-contact interventions, while having no impact on exercise behaviour and self-efficacy, did enhance motivation to change.
authors.affiliation: Exercise and Health Research Unit, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 2LU, UK.
authors.forename: P J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Naylor
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Simmonds
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Riddoch
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Velleman
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Turton
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D003376:Counseling; D015444:Exercise / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009042:Motivation; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000379:methods*; D020377:Self Efficacy; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires