title: A national interactive web-based physical activity intervention in women, evaluation of the american heart association choose to move program 2006-2007.
abstract: Increased physical activity (PA) is associated with improvement of cardiac risk factors and prevention of cardiovascular disease, yet many women remain sedentary. With rising Internet use, Web-based interventions provide an alternative to improve PA, but their effectiveness for change in PA and quality of life (QOL) in a real-world setting is unknown. Participants were United States women ≥18 years old who received 12 weekly PA modules and completed surveys on PA, QOL, and readiness for PA at registration (registration cohort, n = 3,796) or registration and 12 weeks (evaluation cohort, n = 892). QOL was assessed with a modified Short Form-36 with subscores for energy and well-being. Participants showed significant (p <0.001) favorable changes in PA (baseline, median 240 kcal/week, interquartile range 62 to 667; 12 weeks, 343 kcal/week, 131 to 828), stage of readiness for PA, and body mass index (baseline, 29.3 kg/m(2), 24.9 to 34.7; 12 weeks, 28.9 kg/m(2), 24.6 to 34.2). Significant improvements (p <0.0001) were also found in composite scores for energy and well-being. Compliance with PA guideline recommendations increased from 15.8% to 21.4%. Program weeks completed (p = 0.03), energy (p = 0.04), and well-being (p = 0.002) were significantly associated with achieving guideline compliance. In women reporting no PA at baseline (n = 88), program participation resulted in 54.6% achieving some PA and another 9.1% achieving total compliance with recommendations. In conclusion, in this national cohort of women, a 12-week Web-based intervention improved PA and QOL measurements, resulting in higher short-term PA guideline compliance and better QOL. Increasing use of this simple Web-based tool could improve PA and promote disease prevention.
authors.affiliation: Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
authors.forename: Sarah B
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Lieber
authors.forename: Rita F
authors.initials: RF
authors.lastname: Redberg
authors.forename: Roger S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Blumenthal
authors.forename: Anu
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gandhi
authors.forename: Karen J
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Robb
authors.forename: Samia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mora
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000572:American Heart Association; D015992:Body Mass Index; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000517:prevention & control*; D003625:Data Collection; D015444:Exercise / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D020407:Internet; D008875:Middle Aged; D010349:Patient Compliance; D015397:Program Evaluation; D011788:Quality of Life; D020521:Stroke / Q000517:prevention & control; D014481:United States; D055815:Young Adult