title: Achievement of exercise objectives and satisfaction with the walk with ease program-group and self-directed participants.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study presents group (instructor-led) and self-directed (nongroup) participant achievement of exercise objectives and satisfaction with the Arthritis Foundation's Walk With Ease (WWE) program at 6 weeks postintervention and 1-year follow-up.
  
  
  METHODS
  Secondary data analysis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Rural and urban counties in North Carolina.
  
  
  METHODS
  Four hundred sixty-two adults with self-reported joint pain/stiffness or physician-diagnosed arthritis, age ≥18 years, no serious medical condition, no cognitive impairments, English speaking. Intervention. WWE is a 6-week community-based walking program offered in two formats-group and self-directed.
  
  
  METHODS
  Self-report measures collected at baseline, 6 weeks, and 1 year.
  
  
  METHODS
  Descriptive statistics, χ (2) and t-tests.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Individuals self-selected either group (n = 192) or self-directed (n = 270) format. On average, participants were age 67, Caucasian (70%), and female (88%). Mean minutes per walk increased from 16.7 at baseline to 34.2 minutes at 1 year among group participants, and from 16.5 to 33.7 minutes among self-directed. At 1 year, 59.6% of group and 69.3% of self-directed participants reported continued walking (p = .06). Group participants were more likely than self-directed to do recommended stretching (p < .02) and warm-up/cool-down exercises (p < .01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Group and self-directed participants have similar self-reported walking outcomes but have some differences in their utilization of WWE recommendations.
authors.forename: Kirsten A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Nyrop
authors.forename: Rebecca
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Cleveland
authors.forename: Leigh F
authors.initials: LF
authors.lastname: Callahan
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001168:Arthritis / Q000628:therapy; D019058:Community Networks; D003258:Consumer Behavior; D015444:Exercise; D005260:Female; D006040:Goals; D006293:Health Promotion; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009657:North Carolina; D016138:Walking; D055815:Young Adult