title: Promoting exercise maintenance: how interventions with booster sessions improve long-term rehabilitation outcomes.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Follow-up intervention boosters are supposed to promote exercise maintenance beyond initial treatment. The current quasi-experimental study investigated the benefits of adding telephone-delivered intervention boosters to a self-management exercise intervention for rehabilitants. Psycho-social mechanisms by which the intervention boosters promote exercise maintenance were examined.
  
  
  METHODS
  Between 2009 and 2011, individuals in cardiac and orthopedic rehabilitation (N = 1,166) were allocated to either a self-management exercise intervention or a control group (i.e., questionnaire only). In addition to standard rehabilitation, participants in the intervention group were offered a series of telephone-delivered intervention boosters after 6 weeks and again after 6 months. Self-efficacy, action planning, and satisfaction with previous exercise outcomes were reassessed 12 months after discharge. Habit strength and exercise were measured 18 months after rehabilitation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The intervention with boosters promoted the maintenance of planning, self-efficacy, satisfaction, exercise, and habit strength. Changes in exercise were simultaneously mediated by changes in planning, self-efficacy, and satisfaction. Changes in habit strength were sequentially mediated by planning and exercise.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Interventions with boosters that focus on action planning, self-efficacy, and satisfaction help to maintain self-directed postrehabilitation exercise. Frequent exercise performance, in turn, can strengthen exercise habits.
authors.affiliation: Department of Social and Economic Psychology, Freie Universität Berlin.
authors.forename: Lena
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Fleig
authors.forename: Sarah
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pomp
authors.forename: Ralf
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Schwarzer
authors.forename: Sonia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lippke
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005081:Exercise Therapy / Q000379:methods* / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006184:Habits; D015438:Health Behavior; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000379:methods* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic / Q000379:methods*; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017060:Patient Satisfaction / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012648:Self Care / Q000379:methods* / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D020377:Self Efficacy; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult