Physical activity in women: effects of a self-regulation intervention.
BACKGROUND
A physically active lifestyle during midlife is critical to the maintenance of high physical functioning. This study tested whether an intervention that combined information with cognitive-behavioral strategies had a better effect on women's physical activity than an information-only intervention.


METHODS
A 4-month longitudinal RCT comparing two brief interventions was conducted between July 2003 and September 2004. Analyses were completed in June 2008.


METHODS
256 women aged 30-50 years in a large metropolitan area in Germany.


METHODS
The study compared a health information intervention with an information + self-regulation intervention. All participants received the same information intervention; participants in the information + self-regulation group additionally learned a technique that integrates mental contrasting with implementation intentions.


METHODS
Self-reported minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity per week.


RESULTS
Participants in the information + self-regulation group were twice as physically active (i.e., nearly 1 hour more per week) as participants in the information group. This difference appeared as early as the first week after intervention and was maintained over the course of the 4 months. Participants in the information group slightly increased their baseline physical activity after intervention.


CONCLUSIONS
Women who learned a self-regulation technique during an information session were substantially more active than women who participated in only the information session. The self-regulation technique should be tested further as a tool for increasing the impact of interventions on behavioral change.
Stadler
Gertraud
G
Department of Psychology, Columbia University, New York, New York 10027, USA. stadler@psych.columbia.edu
Oettingen
Gabriele
G
Gollwitzer
Peter M
PM
D000328:Adult; D015928:Cognitive Behavioral Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008875:Middle Aged; D009042:Motivation; D009043:Motor Activity; D012927:Social Control, Informal / Q000379:methods*; D016387:Women's Health