Strategies for physical activity maintenance in African American women.
OBJECTIVE
To examine whether African American women who were exercise maintainers reported the same barriers to and benefits from exercise as currently inactive women and to describe maintainers' strategies for exercise maintenance.


METHODS
Semistructured qualitative interviews.


RESULTS
Ten women were classified as exercise maintainers and 9 as relapsers. Both groups reported similar benefits from and barriers to exercise. Maintainers reported strategies they used to sustain their exercise programs: wanting to act as a role model, seeking out social support, and setting goals.


CONCLUSIONS
Programs that address barriers to exercise may not be successful unless coupled with facilitators that promote maintenance.
Kirchhoff
Anne C
AC
Health Services, University of Washington School of Public Health and Community Medicine, Seattle, WA 98103, USA. akirchh@u.washington.edu
Elliott
Lorrie
L
Schlichting
Jennifer A
JA
Chin
Marshall H
MH
D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American / Q000523:psychology*; D000368:Aged; D015444:Exercise / Q000502:physiology / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009043:Motor Activity; D012944:Social Support; D014504:Urban Health