title: Perceived exercise barriers are reduced and benefits are improved with lifestyle modification in overweight and obese women with polycystic ovary syndrome: a randomised controlled trial.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  This study assessed the perceived benefits and barriers to exercise participation in overweight and obese women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and monitored changes in response to a lifestyle intervention.
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty-three overweight/obese PCOS women (Age, 30.3(6.2) yrs; BMI, 36.4(5.6) kg/m(2)) were randomised to one of three 20-week lifestyle programs: diet only (DO, n = 13), diet and aerobic exercise (DA, n = 11) and diet and combined aerobic-resistance exercise (DC, n = 19). Exercise Benefits/Barriers Scale (EBBS), weight, aerobic fitness, depression and PCOS specific health-related quality of life were measured.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Barriers score was related to depression (r = 0.45, P = 0.002) and aerobic fitness (r = -0.32, P = 0.04), while benefits score was related to aerobic fitness (r = 0.41, P = 0.007). EBBS, benefits and barriers scores improved overtime (P ≤ 0.001). Benefits subscales psychological outlook and social interaction increased (P ≤ 0.001) and life enhancement and preventative health did not change (P ≥ 0.3). Physical performance increased only in DA (P = 0.009). There were no differences between treatments for any of the other subscales (P ≥ 0.2). Barriers subscales exercise milieu, time expenditure and physical exertion reduced (P ≤ 0.003) and family discouragement did not change (P = 0.6).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study demonstrated that lifestyle modification consisting of an energy-restricted diet with or without exercise training improved the perceived benefits from and barriers to exercise.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Register ACTRN12606000198527, registered 26 May 2006.
authors.affiliation: Alliance for Research in Exercise, Nutrition and Activity (ARENA), Sansom Institute for Health Research, University of South Australia, Adelaide, 5001, Australia. rebecca.thomson@unisa.edu.au.
authors.forename: Rebecca L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Thomson
authors.affiliation: Alliance for Research in Exercise, Nutrition and Activity (ARENA), Sansom Institute for Health Research, University of South Australia, Adelaide, 5001, Australia.
authors.forename: Jonathan D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Buckley
authors.affiliation: Food and Nutrition Flagship, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, Food and Nutrition Science, Adelaide, 5000, Australia.
authors.forename: Grant D
authors.initials: GD
authors.lastname: Brinkworth
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001315:Australia; D015992:Body Mass Index; D003863:Depression / Q000523:psychology; D004032:Diet / Q000523:psychology / Q000592:standards; D015444:Exercise; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008019:Life Style; D009765:Obesity / Q000523:psychology; D050177:Overweight / Q000523:psychology; D010465:Perception; D011085:Polycystic Ovary Syndrome / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy*; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology