Long-term effects of a stage-based intervention for changing exercise intentions and behavior in older adults.
OBJECTIVE
We examined the efficacy of an intervention tailored to the individual's stage of change for exercise adoption on exercise stage of change, physical activity, and physical function in community-dwelling older adults.


METHODS
We randomized participants to a print and telephone intervention or a contact comparison group. Through the use of longitudinal analyses we examined the intervention's effectiveness in promoting stage progression, altering decisional balance and the processes of change, increasing self-efficacy and physical activity, and improving physical function among older adults who completed the 24-month study (N = 966). We conducted similar analyses that excluded individuals who were in maintenance at baseline and 24 months.


RESULTS
At the end of the study, there were no differences in stage progression, self-efficacy, decisional balance, the processes of change, physical activity, or physical function by intervention assignment. When the analyses excluded those participants (n = 358) who were in the maintenance stage for exercise throughout the intervention, we found that, compared with the comparison group, a greater proportion of individuals who received the exercise intervention progressed in stage by 24 months. Conversely, more individuals in the comparison group remained stable or regressed in stage compared with the intervention group.


CONCLUSIONS
Results indicate that a tailored intervention is effective in increasing motivational readiness for exercise in individuals who were in stages of change other than maintenance.
Greaney
Mary L
ML
Public Health Nutrition, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA 02115, USA. mgreaney@hsph.harvard.edu
Riebe
Deborah
D
Ewing Garber
Carol
C
Rossi
Joseph S
JS
Lees
Faith D
FD
Burbank
Patricia A
PA
Nigg
Claudio R
CR
Ferrone
Christine L
CL
Clark
Phillip G
PG
D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015444:Exercise / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008136:Longevity / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000502:physiology*; D011379:Prognosis; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013997:Time Factors