title: Construct validity of the stages of change of exercise adoption for different intensities of physical activity in four samples of differing age groups.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine whether the stages of change of exercise adoption appropriately address strenuous, moderate, and mild intensities of physical activity.
  
  
  METHODS
  Secondary analysis of four data sets investigating transtheoretical model (TTM) constructs for exercise adoption.
  
  
  METHODS
  Four samples of differing age groups (adolescents, n = 400; college students, n = 240; adults, n = 346; seniors, n = 504).
  
  
  METHODS
  Stage of change algorithm for exercise adoption and self-reported physical activity.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) results showed that stages of change were distinguished by strenuous and moderate but not mild exercise in the adolescent, college student, and adult sample. In the senior sample, stage differences were found in the frequency of exercising (equivalent for moderate to strenuous exercise) and the frequency of walking (equivalent for mild exercise). Bivariate correlation coefficients as well as sensitivity, specificity, and related quality indices decreased respectively from strenuous to moderate to mild exercise and from exercising to walking.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Results provide additional support for the construct validity of the stages of change for strenuous and moderate intensities of physical activity. Development of a new stage assessment instrument for mild intensities of physical activity is recommended. Limitations include use of a different validation measure of exercise behavior in the senior sample.
authors.affiliation: Ernst-Moritz-Arndt-University Greifswald, Institute of Epidemiology and Social Medicine, Walther-Rathenau-Strasse 48, D-17487 Greifswald, Germany.
authors.forename: Anja
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Schumann
authors.forename: Claudio R
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Nigg
authors.forename: Joseph S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Rossi
authors.forename: Patricia J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Jordan
authors.forename: Gregory J
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Norman
authors.forename: Carol Ewing
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Garber
authors.forename: Deborah
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Riebe
authors.forename: Sonya V
authors.initials: SV
authors.lastname: Benisovich
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000465:Algorithms; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D002170:Canada; D015444:Exercise; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009511:New England; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012237:Rhode Island; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires